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Hello, Kiva again. This is my review of the album, Vida Blue, released earlier this year from the experimental metal band, Mamaleek. I’ve been a huge fan of them for a while so this release was exciting, and they seem to only grow weirder and cooler with each release. It is a behemoth, this one.
Tepucigalpa. Although they follow the same rhythm, the guitar and vocals have a striking contrast: guitar stays higher on the intro, plucking a riff that almost sounds like King Krule, while vocals sit as low as I think is physically possible for the vocalist, scratchy and desperate. The builds in this song are short, everything being pushed and pulled by the bass. It breaks down into layers of vocals; the anger, fear, and agony is all palpable in his voice. The next section is more melodic and playful, but the bass stays behind the wheel no matter where they go. Then the flute comes in. Yes, the flute. I like to think of Mamaleek as evil wizard music, but only if the wizard is really cool and based. The flute is used in accompaniment with the bass and drums to go slower and softer, the vocals never resting or switching. They layer so many different vocals that it sounds so indescribably massive.
Vileness Slim. The steady groove they are masters of pops out pretty immediately here, and although it may be a more accessible and recognizable style, the layers of various string and wind instruments in the background add an entire atmosphere. Echoing, quiet background vocals sound like old playback from your grandma's stereo while they experiment with all the ways to break the rules of traditional jazz. A more staccato piece from the drums and bass devolves into collapse, and from the ruin, all the vocals crawl back up to the top. The background choir of oohs and aahs feels religious and the guitar does something that almost sounds like a solo--but it’s mostly just noise, while the rest of the instruments carry on. This song ends on a final massive blow, and I couldn’t tell you how many instruments they used to get there if you paid me.
Vida Blue is opened by the saxophone, which is joined by a violin. Spoken word vocals come in like a monologue from a movie villain. It quickly breaks into a steady turmoil, accented frequently by horns, strings, and various percussive pieces. This song feels like the death march up a mountain in some old sci-fi movie--like the destination brings certain destruction, but there is no choice but to go up. They play with space and minimalism a lot, which sounds contradictory to all their instrument usage, but they give themselves space to do it all. This song is a repetitive collapse. Each time it breaks, you think there’s no way for it to devolve further, until it does. By the end of it, you’re sure there is no possible way anything could come together ever again. There’s a maliciousness in the way the vocals sit on other versions of the same thing, chanting, praying. Somehow, it is brought back together--the drums pulling everyone in with a militant beat as if it’s acting as sergeant. A steady melody is played until it closes with, if I had to guess, zither.
Ancient Souls, No Longer Sorrowful's intro sounds like bansuri, or maybe sitar? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it is definitely unexpected. The strings all stomp in together, and again, the vocals are layered into a theatrical feel. There’s a different steadiness to this one, bumping up and down. You’re going to get sick of me mentioning the bass in this blog, but the way it’s utilized in this album is endlessly fascinating and impressive. It takes the role most lead guitars would: driving every melody, setting the energy, and a lot of times even holding the rhythm. In its wake, the guitar is more experimental, and toys with the space not yet taken up. There’s a scrambling reintroduction of what we heard in the beginning of the track, creating chaos in an otherwise consistent sound.
This album evolves every second with every entrance of every instrument, the feeling and energy continually shifting. The guitar feels, in certain parts, like it’s from a Van Halen record, taking on a shocking classic rock sound. The drums carry on their experimental, yet still jazz style. They give way to a slow quietness again, the flute and ensemble of percussion instruments build tension with pure accents in the space. From that tension, we drop into an eerie piano solo which begins high, punches heartbreakingly low, then devolves into beautiful synergy. This piece is given a while to sit, and when the other instruments are reintroduced, it carries on in the background, making what would just be a heavy rock piece into something so much more dimensional.
Momentary Laughter Concealed From My Eyes. I would almost call this track an interlude--a two minute reprieve of beautiful tranquility from what has been both an emotionally and instrumentally heavy album thus far. It’s introduced by what sounds like a church choir, which gives way into a steady, jaunting rhythm. The layering and panning of these vocals open up so much room in your brain, pulling back the trees so you can walk through the meadow that this song puts into my brain.
Black Pudding Served at the Horn of the Altar. The vocals that open this track are a lot different from what we’ve heard so far, a spoken style that almost feels like Swans or Police State. I will never get out of my head the unified voices, proclaiming: “Black Pudding Served at the Horn of the Altar.” We get some weird and very cool synth sounds in this track, aiding in the atmosphere. There are so many different sounds they create on this track and album as a whole, that I genuinely cannot figure out how they’re doing some of it. The bass continues to be the harbinger of every new crushingly cinematic section. They introduce what sounds like a floor tom being recorded from the next room over--a flatter, higher, and more shallow hit every few seconds. This is usually a sound people try to stay away from, but with the scarcity in which it’s utilized, it’s just another tool to make as massive a sound as possible. The drums never really take center stage, and if I were a fool I’d call them understated, but they’re not--they play with every second and every sonic inch they’re given so smoothly that it could easily go over your head just how masterful they are. The outro on this track is an old, almost show tune-sounding piece, played with pieces in reverse before it fades into silence.
Hateful of Rain. I know I sound like a broken record here, but the bass is so genuinely striking in each track. This album is truly a masterclass in inventive, interesting, and gripping bass playing. This track starts much lighter, the flute is back in full force and the drums feel almost jolly. If it’s possible for drums to sound jolly. Each section varies so much in feel, if you stripped the vocals away, the instrumentals at points feel almost indifferent on this track. No heavy or crushing emotion necessarily tied to the feel of them, which is a stark contrast to the guttural screaming vocals that lie within the same mix. This track, again, utilizes sections of minimal noise and maximum space--almost clearing the way for the rolling, booming section which follows. They’re able to sound so huge and emotional without the wall of despair we’re used to hearing, and it’s almost striking when you’re hit with it but can tell they’re still holding back. This may be a very niche and targeted reference, but I am reminded so much of AZ darlings, Feed, listening to some of the guitar and bass pieces on this album, especially the guitar that closes out this song. It’s that mathy, disgusting groove that is so impressive when it’s pulled off well. Mamaleek may as well have invented it.
Legion of Bottom Deck Dealers has a slower, more swinging chorus that comes back between spacier sections of vocals, strings, and other experimental instruments. I wish I could better explain just how they experiment with less traditional instruments, but it really just has to be heard to be understood. The vocals that come in on this track are oppositely much more traditional--almost sing songy. On an album like this, reverting to that hits so hard. I had no idea their vocalist had such a beautiful voice until about two and a half minutes into this song. The drums blast purely accents of the vocals that have devolved back into the growling speaking style that we’ve become so familiar with, until it blasts into another nasty groove. It doesn’t last long, though, and it’s quickly stepped on by an acoustic guitar section. A soft and beautiful plucking sits just underneath the vocals, which are then joined by the drums, bass, and finally the rest of the strings. The addition of the other instruments turn what was a simply beautiful riff into something bigger, more complex, and harder to understand in terms of the feeling that’s being conveyed. I love the contrast of each instrument, and it makes me want to pay so much more attention to what’s going on in each bit. But, no matter how weird they get and what they pull out to throw you off, it never hinders them from returning to their steady and groovy nature. We’re given another disgusting bass line and we say thank you.
Hidden Exit on a Greyhound. The return to the classic rock influenced guitar, the quick launch into a bass centered groove, the scratchily low vocals, the massive world you're launched into--every calling card for this album is back for its closer. It is beautiful and it’s harsh, but mostly it’s just damn cool. They don’t pull out every bell and whistle on this track, for the most part it’s just guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. A stripped down and simplified format, and the perfect yearn-inducing closer to this album.
There’s a lot I couldn’t get into with this one, including lyrical content, some of the vocal styles and inspirations, etc., but frankly I think it’d take a thousand pages to fully dissect this, which is why I very strongly urge you to just listen to it. It is massive, cinematic, and so incredibly layered. Mamaleek is truly a one of a kind group and this album is a testament to that. They deserve to be much more recognized, so support them in any way you can. One of these days, god will smile upon me and I will see them live. Thank you for reading, see you later.
10/10
Stream Vida Blue.
-Kiva
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