When it comes to rock music that’s both funky and heavy, Crobot hits the nail right on the head with their latest album, Motherbrain. Motherbrain is the band’s fourth studio release, but the first one to be released through Mascot Label Group. I don’t want to boast, but Crobot may have struck gold with this album. Having recently seen some of the album’s songs performed live at Alcatraz Festival, all I can say is: You don’t want to miss out on these guys!

Crobot is:
Chris Bishop (Guitars)
Dan Ryan (Drums)
James Lascu (Bass)
Brandon Yeagley (Vocals)

Starting off with Burn, Motherbrain already proves to be a promising album. There’s just something about this song that immediately has me hooked. Strong vocals, followed by some very fitting guitar riffs and drums. If I had to summarize Motherbrain with one song, Burn would definitely be one of the first songs I’d think of. The song goes into various directions but always keeps feeling like one coherent song. Similar to Motherbrain as a whole. Every new song feels like a continuation of the previous in a way. Crobot has a way to sound refreshing and unique, yet very familiar. If you like one song from the album, you’ll probably like all of the songs.

Keep Me Down is a song that deals with taking punches and not letting up. The song feels like something that could be topping the charts! It’s well composed and I simply can’t find anything to dislike about it! The song is accompanied by a music video, which in itself may seem a bit weird to some as it looks a bit goofy, but it shows the band’s humorous side alongside with their musical talent. Having talked with them personally, I can confirm that this video shows that these guys are very down to earth and love to have a laugh doing what they love. Which makes these kind of silly music videos very amusing to watch as well as to listen to.

Low Life has a bit more of a pop vibe to it. It’s very catchy, yet also heavy enough to make you want to just give in and move and shout along with the lyrics. Personally, halfway through the album, the songs lost a little bit of their power to me. Musically they’re still very good, but the first half seems to be easier to remember and connect with.

At times, Crobot sounds a little bit like Papa Roach. I’m not quite sure why, but when I close my eyes and let go of everything, I can hear a hint of Jacoby Shaddix in Brandon‘s voice. I’d love to see these guys collaborate on something in the future, I’m certain it would be very interesting!

All in all, Motherbrain is a very good album. It’s familiar, yet new. Relaxing, yet very powerful. Motherbrain is so powerful, it doesn’t need breakdowns, grunting, squeels, endless double bass patterns or similar elements to be heavy. And that’s what I really like about Crobot and this album. They know how to deliver without compromising on their sound or style.

Release date: August 23, 2019
Label: Mascot Label Group
Tracklist:

1. Burn
2. Keep Me Down
3. Drown
4. Low Life
5. Alpha Dawg
6. Stoning The Devil
7. Gasoline
8. Destroyer
9. Blackout
10. After Life
11. The Hive