MAN MADE MOUNTAINS – Man Made Mountains

Apparently, there’s a Canadian island, way out on the west coast of that country, called Quadra. That’s where Man Made Mountains hail from. Listening to this, their debut album, it becomes clear that life on an island hasn’t kept these guys from encompassing a few different genres into their sound. They’ve got harsh vocals that wander into Death Metal territory, but they’ve got clean ones, too. They also have a bit of Progressive thrown in, but only in the sense that they’re keen to tackle any number of different sounds.

If you want something heavy and unorthodox, Man Made Mountains is a good pick. The guitars are consistently loud, but the band also incorporates synthesizers into their sound to flesh things out. As for the overall feel of the album, there’s a very exploratory vibe going on. In many respects, this prevents a sense of unity from emerging. It almost sounds like the band members got into the studio, conducted some weird experiments and got the most unusual ones recorded.

One need only check out a track like “Ensnarlment” to get a feel for what’s on tap. The song starts off with a slightly comedic sample that’s backed by playful guitars and then becomes a helluva lot heavier. The vocals are intense and leave you feeling a little disoriented as you reflect upon what you’re hearing.

The album is also comprised of more than a couple of instrumental tracks. “Nothing To Right Home About” is one of them and it sounds… well, different. That may very well be one of the best words to describe this band. Another, unfortunately, would be filler. The songs that are without actual singing seem like little more than a waste of time.

If you want Metal that’s strange and difficult to pigeonhole, Man Made Mountains is your band. Just don’t be surprised if, in your search for an unconventional group, you feel as though you’ve wasted your money.