Made up of long-time friends – Erik Nordström, Martin Sandström and Fredrik Aspelin, the Stockholm-based trio Möuth impressed me straight away with their very first single Holy Ground released last summer. We had to wait a few more months for the release of the full-length debut Global Warning and it’s finally around the corner, thanks to Bonebag Records.
The first two tracks, aforementioned Holy Ground and Dirt showcase the band’s strengths very well with a wall of guitars creating a melodic yet dirty heavy rock sound, bearing resemblance to late-era Soundgarden, Black Sabbath and classic Led Zeppelin. Möuth don’t forget the songs need a good tension build-up and a good chorus, which is true for all of the songs. Speed Of Life is a bit more moody and psychedelic, more even in musical delivery, with less spectacular guitar melodies. Sheep follows next with something very Mastodon-ish in the heaviness of the riffs and the interesting, off-the-hook, long instrumental passage. Very, very good. World Pain serves as a dark instrumental introduction to Appetite – one more fantastic feast for the ears (and probably the album’s best song) of all of us who worship the deep, underground guitar riff. The rhythm section is absolutely gut wrenching too, adding so much volume and thickness to the sound, all of this topped off by amazing vocals.
Alike is more stripped-down and melodic, not so punchy in delivery, yet still catching the ear with nice hooks. Mantra has excellent melodies, building up tension in true Soundgarden fashion, probably more proggy and calm until halfway, when there’s another wall of guitar harmonies finishing the song in an epic fashion. The album’s compact 40 minutes finish sooner than I expected, but isn’t that how you feel about every great recording? The last song is In The City, which, while simple in structure and with unimpressive verses, still succeeds to impress me during its second, instrumental half, and leave me wanting more.
Global Warning is a spectacular debut by Möuth and another proof that Sweden is a fertile ground for quality metal. Check these guys out because this will surely end among the best heavy albums this year.
8,5/10
Global Warning is out on February 14th and can be pre-ordered from HERE
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