MOLDER
MOLDER “Catastrophic Reconfiguration”
By Dr. Abner Mality
Good to see these Chi-town freaks back on the racks with something new. I may sound like a hypocrite, because I know I’ve been preaching against death metal bands that sound real typical, like STENCHED or VOMITROT. Yes, MOLDER is in the same club...hell, they could fit in the same car with those other bands...but there’s something so easy to digest about their brand of old school DM. People who don’t like death metal will never understand, but this is comfort food for those of us who do.
MOLDER is much in the same vein as fellow Chicagoans CARDIAC ARREST and CIANIDE...the music is tough and burly, to the point and packed with sickening lyrics and riffs. Take the title track here...this one practically bounces like a rubber ball with a great groove that practically demands that ye bang thy head. Aaren Pantke has gruesome vocal tones inspired by Martin van Drunen of ASPHYX and Chuck from early DEATH. Certainly the influence of both those seminal bands can be heard here.
Yeah, nothing really revelatory in lyrics to tracks like “Corpse Copulation”, “Brain Boil” and the cleverly titled “Nothing Left to Ooze”. But when those lyrics are embedded in headbanging ragers, they are easier to take. I wouldn’t expect MOLDER to go the BLOOD INCANTATION or TOMB MOLD route and add synth interludes or jazz breaks...or at least, I hope so. This is one band I think is always going to be straight to the bone OSDM and should be enjoyed as such.