ALBUM REVIEW
MASTIC SCUM – VOID
Mechanical Death Metal meets industrial coldness and Grindcore.
Across more than three decades, MASTIC SCUM have developed a sound shaped by the interplay of Death Metal, Grindcore and Industrial influences. On "VOID", that approach finds a broader range of expression. The Austrian band's seventh studio album builds on the experience accumulated since 1999's "Zero", packing a considerable amount of musical movement into its 11 tracks and approximately 39-minute runtime. At its core is the relationship between traditional Death Metal brutality, mechanical rhythms and industrial coldness. Comparisons to FEAR FACTORY are inevitable, particularly given the clipped guitar attacks, synchronized rhythmic patterns and machine-like arrangements. MASTIC SCUM, however, favour an approach that dispenses with melodic vocals and retains more of their Grindcore roots and Death Metal's sheer physical weight.
The guitars of Harry Gandler and Dominique Heine combine low-end heaviness with rhythmic precision. Staccato riffs, abrupt changes in guitar patterns and dissonant transitions reinforce the music's industrial character, while occasional tapping solos that nod towards classic Heavy Metal introduce another dimension to the arrangements. 'Arise // Erase' and 'Deathwish' are notable examples of this approach. Meanwhile, the blast beat passages in 'D-Termination' and 'Synthetic Catharsis' push towards the boundaries of Grindcore and Deathcore, with the technical intricacy of the guitars further intensifying their aggression. 'Experiment on Obedience' offers one of the album's more measured yet equally crushing moments, built around constantly shifting tempos, thick grooves and rhythmic patterns reminiscent of Djent.
Holding these different directions together is the precision of Stephan Huber's drumming. Its synchronization with the guitars creates a mechanical sense of order, while tempo changes and blast beat transitions prevent the music from descending into an uncontrolled race for speed. The physical impact of the rhythms becomes particularly apparent when the groove takes centre stage. These are the moments when MASTIC SCUM demonstrate that their music is about more than technical proficiency; they also understand the physical effect their riffs can have on the listener. However, the band's tendency to constantly introduce new rhythmic or technical ideas occasionally works against them. Transitions arriving before a riff has had sufficient time to settle diminish the lasting impact of certain passages. Cutting off effective groove patterns before they have run their course is one area in which the songwriting could have benefited from greater restraint.
Maggo Wenzel's harsh and aggressive vocal delivery provides a fitting counterpart to the music's mechanical texture. The guest vocal contributions also introduce different shades across three tracks: Andy Dude of THROWBACK on 'Aftermath', Mike Kronstorfer of BEFORE THE FALL on 'Experiment on Obedience' and Sebastian Grihm of CYTOTOXIN on 'Synthetic Catharsis'. Their involvement adds variety to the vocal arrangements, but ultimately serves as a complementary touch that reinforces the existing brutality rather than altering the album's fundamental identity.
The production, handled at Grindlab Studio in Vienna, brings the weight of the guitars and the mechanical precision of the drums into sharp focus. The clean, powerful mix ensures that rhythmic details remain discernible despite the extensive use of distortion. The spoken-word samples interspersed throughout the album also serve to reinforce its industrial atmosphere. The lyrical themes of destruction, chaos and existential decay fit naturally into this cold sonic landscape. Hugo Antonio Teran's artwork further completes the album's dystopian aesthetic on a visual level.
Looking at individual tracks, 'Aftermath' stands out for its constantly shifting arrangement, moving between groove, technical Death Metal and Deathgrind within its roughly three-and-a-half-minute runtime. With the guest vocals adding another dimension, almost every section brings a different kind of movement. 'Synthetic Catharsis' makes its mark through toxic guitar motifs and some of the album's most punishing Grindcore passages, while 'D-Termination' takes on a more unsettling character through its frenzied guitar transitions and recurring aggressive motifs. The closing track, 'The Avoidance', stretches beyond six minutes and brings Progressive Death Metal, Techgrind and melodic groove elements together in a single arrangement. Supported by ominous vocal samples, it represents the album's most extensive attempt to venture beyond conventional Deathgrind territory. Its extended structure, however, also reveals that not every idea delivers equally effective results.
The main challenge facing "VOID" is not technical proficiency or production quality, but how successfully these elements translate into a distinctive musical identity. The similarities to FEAR FACTORY's mechanical approach to Death Metal provide one of the album's key reference points. The industrial coldness reminiscent of SYBREED and the rhythmic weight that occasionally brings GOJIRA to mind further define its musical territory. Yet bringing these influences together does not always result in an original songwriting approach. Some riffs and arrangements lean more heavily on a familiar industrial Extreme Metal vocabulary than on the band's own character. Moreover, the constantly shifting rhythmic structures occasionally prevent the songs from developing their strongest ideas to their full potential.
Even so, the results are particularly compelling when MASTIC SCUM bring groove together with the ferocity of Grindcore. While "VOID" does not always live up to its innovative ambitions, it combines the mechanical side of technical Death Metal, an industrial atmosphere and Deathgrind aggression within a coherent sonic framework. It should resonate particularly well with listeners drawn to FEAR FACTORY, SYBREED and contemporary technical Death Metal. Considering the band's more than three decades of experience, what they need at this stage is not greater technical complexity, but a way to turn their existing musical vocabulary into stronger, more distinctive compositions.
https://masticscum.bandcamp.com/music