Having taken this past Friday off to catch the first of two nights of W.A.S.P. (Spoiler alert: Both shows ruled.), is it unfair to me to return to you on a late Monday afternoon with not a proper album review, but a review of a 10 minute EP? Yeah, maybe. However, 10 minutes is more than enough time when it comes to today’s metal subgenre in question, metalpunk. Do you think the punks who made up the UK82 movement were disappointed that their favorite bands released a string of singles and EPs as opposed to proper albums? Of course not! And even when said bands did release full lengths, they seldom ran past 30 minutes.
Following in this snotty and leather studded tradition is Spain’s Mean Machine. Formed back in 2010, this high speed power trio takes their cues from the fast and filthy pioneers of the early 80s, before thrash upped the ante tenfold. Whether it’s the brash metallic force of Raven, Tank, and Motörhead, or the ripping, filth encrusted insanity of The Exploited, GBH, and Discharge, all of it is channeled in equal measure on Mean Machine’s latest EP, I Wanna Die by D-Beat & Four Roses. And I dare you to find me a more metalpunk album title release this year. Please, enlighten me in the comments.
Opening this short and anything but sweet outing is the no frills “Murder 180”. This high speed rager is the perfect balance of UK82 anarchy and motörcharged mayhem that this band takes to heart, full of ripping riffs, barbed wire vocals, d-beats for days, and even a vicious mosh breakdown, or in this case, a two-step breakdown. This is followed by the reckless, heavy metal rock n’ roller that is “Threat for the Liver”, a nasty little number with debaucherous lyrics and even more debaucherous riffing. If you’re looking for unadulterated metalpunk, look no further.
“Wake Up in Jail” is perhaps the most interesting cut on here, thanks to its dirty, down-home southern blues tinge. Dare I say it combines the outlaw aura of Ace of Spades era Motörhead with the gritty, whiskey fueled madness of 70s Lynyrd Skynyrd? Yes I do. If this is what you’d call “southern metal”, I’m all for it. Closing it all out is the wild title track, which lives up to its name as d-beats take centerstage on this final assault. The riffing, arrangement, and attitude have Discharge written all over it, albeit in a more blatantly metal fashion.
Mean Machine are indeed some mean muthas, armed to the teeth with their battered instruments and equally battered souls. Those who prefer their metal on the highbrow side of things will scoff in disgust, which is exactly the intention. But if you’re one of those party animals who spends your weekends blitzed and blasting the likes of Midnight, Speedwolf, Overdose, and other modern day warriors of speed, Mean Machine will make a fine addition to your blackout listening. If you’re gonna die, die by d-beat…and four roses.
7 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Speed Metal
For fans of: Motörhead, Discharge, Speedwolf