Molder – Catastrophic Reconfiguration

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Two years ago, U.S. death metal band Molder showed great promise when they released their sophomore “Engrossed in Decay”. Now the quartet has set its record in stone, returning for a third studio album “Catastrophic Reconfiguration” out via Prosthetic Records on November 8th, 2024. Aaren Pantke's retro-styled growling is very much in the vein of bands like Obituary and Asphyx; the slow cave-man riffs like Autopsy and the killer grooves of guitarist Carlos Santini make a fantastic combination of slow mid-tempo riffs and the brutal drum fills of Kyle Pooley are layered with solid bass riffs of Dom Vaia.

The album kicks off with “Catastrophic Reconfiguration” bathing the listener with sick caveman riffs, the guitar tone pays full homage to the Floridian classic death metal bands, and even the elements of thrash metal display the knack for bridging the heaviness. The guitars have a powerful drive to the ten songs and are meticulously constructed to deliver many tempo changes. Interestingly, the guitar brings some melodic section with solos entwined, and the aggression is spot on in the following song “Pulped”.

The drumming precision elaborates the speed but never fails to maintain the thrash metal character, and while there are some sections where the drums emphasize blast beats, the riffing is brimming with heavy chugging. “Overdue Burial” delivers mid-paced grooves with blast beats being the most dynamic element in this song and guttural growls spewing out something nasty, despite the short length of the songs Molder manages to entertain the listener through brutal sections.

The level of brutality on the album reminds me of early Death albums, for example, the track “Frothing” clearly shows how the drums transition to a fast-paced tempo, and the guitars keep at a slower pace when breaking into a thundering pace.

The filthy Autopsy-esque riffs are the main feature and the riffs alternate between mid-paced to fast blasting sections and then transition into churning slow doomy tempo. Molder can showcase its songwriting skills with a quality standard; the sophistication proves how songs like “Masked in Mold” allow the elements of death/doom metal to flourish. The brilliant instrumentation molds everything the band has stood for since the sophomore “Engrossed in Decay” but we get to hear more influences from old-school death doom metal, after the dark atmospheric intro the chaotic riffage erupts.

The heaviness instantly shifts to intense death thrash, even though Molder is not shy to show off its heavy influences to Chuck Schuldiner in numerous tracks like “Bursted Innards”. The opening riffs come straight from the cobwebs of a cave that recall memories from Death‘s “Pull the Plug”. The guitars deliver a savage mid-tempo crunch with unrelenting pummeling beats and frenzied growls amid sharp razor-cutting riffs to fuel a galvanizing blend of frenetic thrashing tempo.

Catastrophic Reconfiguration” features a tight and furious rhythm alongside the blistering drumming that erupts into a full death metal rampage, and mid-tempo chugging and wicked solos carry on through another stellar track “Rapidly Exsanguinated” is easily one of my favorite songs in the album.

The crunchy riff-work is packed with fiery thrash metal riffing, and the raw production of this album highlights the aggressive mixture of furious tempos on “Corpse Copulation” and “Brain Boil” which shows Molder’s technical abilities when the quartet plays at fast tempos. Another unique aspect is the growling sounds raw and nasty and the dual guitars that come all blazing like thunder are enough to hook you to the flawless growls.

The closing track “Nothing Left to Ooze” is full of crushing double drum beats and the brutal execution of the buzzing guitar sound creates a thick and impenetrable wall, though it’s simple and heavy-as-hell the blasting drum works in tandem with the riffs.

REVIEW SCORE

  • Music / Songwriting 8/10
  • Vocals / Lyrics 8/10
  • Mix / Production 9/10
  • Artwork & Packaging 8/10
  • Originality 7/10
8

“Catastrophic Reconfiguration” gushes out like utter filth with the frantic fury of the classic death metal aesthetics and the quality that ensures a level of precision and effort from the quartet.

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