Berlin based Maggot Heart is the latest project from Linnéa Olsson, who listeners might know from her time in groups like Beastmilk, Grave Pleasures, and The Oath. Where those bands have explored post punk, doom, and heavy metal, Maggot Heart has always been a bit more of a stylistic shapeshifter as 2018’s full length debut Dusk to Dusk revealed. Two years later and with a slightly different lineup backing her vision, Olsson has released a follow-up titled Mercy Machine that expands upon everything from its predecessor and heads in additional musical directions. Despite just how frequently the sound shifts from song to song, there’s a cohesive feel to the album and plenty of hooks to keep listeners coming back for more.
There’s a lot to unpack over the course of Mercy Machine’s ten tracks, but Olsson and company knows how to keep listeners on their toes while still keeping them interested in everything Maggot Heart has to offer. As with previous material from the band, there’s a healthy dose of post punk and death rock influence to be found here as the same driving rhythms and darker textures flow through some of the riffing alongside some much heavier metal-tinged moments. But where that seemed to define quite a bit of Dusk to Dusk, this album pulls from additional musical influences and channels some straight up rock ‘n roll and some surprisingly brighter moments. Tracks like “Modern Cruelty” exhibit a bit more soul and provide danceable beats alongside twisting and turning guitar rhythms that have a touch of Killing Joke and Voivod alongside that 60s and 70s rock ‘n roll fire and energy. The title track in particular is another great example of where Maggot Heart has evolved compared to its debut, as it exhibits a punk spirit and some downright infectious melodies, transforming into a much denser and challenging piece about halfway through. Chances are you’ll find a fair amount of bands from the 80s and 90s come to mind depending on which song you’re listening to, but the way that all of these elements are woven together gives this group an identity of its own rather than adhering to one particular band’s take on post punk or hard rock.
Having associated Olsson more for her guitar playing over the years, it’s been exciting to watch her make just as big of an impression as a vocalist over each of Maggot Heart’s releases. Her voice balances equal amounts of lighter, airier pitches and slightly rawer tones that have a noticeable bite to them, coming in somewhere between the sheer energy of early punk and the more subdued approach of post punk. As the musical approaches shift throughout Mercy Machine Olsson’s vocals follow suit, as songs like “Sex Breath” and the title track are punchier and in your face, with the latter even having a few sections that remind me a bit of a cross between Siouxsie Sioux (Siouxsie and the Banshees) and Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs). There’s a bit more depth to the performance than one might initially expect, and this aspect of Maggot Heart’s music has only gotten stronger with each effort.
Some artists can’t maintain this level of variety and musical shifts without feeling like their ideas are underdeveloped, but even though Maggot Heart feels like it’s channeling just about every underground genre from the 80s there’s a sense of cohesion to what it has to offer. There are quite a few hooks that are sure to hook listeners, and with riffs that pull from classic hard rock and post punk to heavy metal there’s a large potential audience for this album to reach. With a bit more oomph and the right balance of lighter and darker textures, there’s even more to latch on to compared to Dusk to Dusk and it’ll be exciting to watch Olsson’s ideas only continue to evolve in the years to come. Mercy Machine is available from Rapid Eye Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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