Mounties
Heavy Meta
(Light Organ Records)
4/5
It’s been five years since the release of Thrash Rock Legacy, and Canadian supergroup Mounties are back with their highly anticipated second LP, Heavy Meta. Combining the creativity of Hawksley Workman, Hot Hot Heat’s Steve Bays, and Age of Electric/Limblifter’s Ryan Dahle, Mounties possess an embarrassment of talent. Expectations were high. Heavy Meta doesn’t disappoint.
On first spin there is too much going on to take it all in. The synth is overwhelming at times, but it grew on me. The sounds are subtle yet powerful—simple yet complex. These are elite-level musicians with the freedom to work in the studio.
While it sounds great coming from a speaker, check the video for the lead single, “Flags of Convenience.” You have to see it to understand how fucking good Eric Breitenbach—also of Limblifter, and who provides guest drum work on this track—is. His beats are unconventional and all over the place but somehow they fit perfectly. It almost sounds like a sober Keith Moon. Brietenbach just might be the best in the game right now.
Heavy Meta is loaded with great cuts. The title track defies time, coming at us in movements, each of which would stand alone. “Longplay” mixes straight-up rock guitar with staccato synth and great melodies. Mounties’ versatility is showcased on slower tracks like “Python Status” and “Beauty Won’t Fail You.”
Combining frontmen often results in catastrophic failure, but Mounties successfully features three lead singers and their unmistakably distinct styles somehow meld into one. Heavy Meta is a great album. Don’t miss it.