Much like any genre, the glut experienced in what called itself metalcore during the NWOAHM in the mid-‘00s was fit to burst straight through the stomach lining of heavy music, and it seemed like every new band wanted to be JOB FOR AN AUTOPSY IN THE WHITECHAPEL. Arriving as they did a decade after, MUGSHOT had the chance to make something fresh and took it on 2016’s Dull Boy. And now, nearly ten years later, the Texans return with All The Devils Are Here.
‘Die In Fear’ suffices, pinch harmonics and bulldog barking vocals, but seems to never put much effort into looking for an actual song. The coda impresses though, taking things in a more positive direction, ‘Afore A Waking Nightmare’ continuing the upward trajectory. The band’s not frightened of using electronics to pepper its riffs and rhythms, and this works for them, elevating the closing not-quite-breakdown in ‘Shame’ and ferocious ‘Skin The Rabbit’ to something more than background music for your next bro-core sesh.
‘I Will Be Here Forever’ is catchy, memorable even despite the scattershot approach of much of MUGSHOT’s music which, if I’m being honest, holds the interest without seeming to be of the “throw it against the wall and see what sticks” approach. Cataclysmic, ‘Flesh Of My Body’ is a deadly :40, but ‘Baptized In Concrete’ is rife with HATEBREEDisms ala “If you don’t know motherfucker…” and “Sit the fuck down”, and quite frankly, softens its bite in its desire to come across as hardass. Musically, though, ‘Baptized…’ works, and the title track is back to the electro-tinged frenzy that is the quartet at their best, most potent.
In all, All The Devils Are Here is a mixed bag. It rubs shoulders a bit too closely at times with its influences, in others rises above them. It also, though, has just enough originality sprinkled through to make the -core kids go apeshit, and keep the elders at the gates from writing the band off full stop. Let’s see where MUGSHOT takes things from here.
Review By: Lord Randall
MUGSHOT
All The Devils Are Here
Pure Noise Records