Maruta – Remain Dystopian (Relapse)
Sunday, 24th May 2015
Floridian deathgrinders Maruta have been laying waste to listeners’ ears for almost a decade now. After two successful albums with Willowtip Records, the band made the leap to the grind foundation that is Relapse Records. Their first effort since 2011’s Forward into Regression, Remain Dystopian aims to please those who yearn for their grind at a fever pitch.
With 17 songs in a mere 27 minutes, the most surprising factor was how Maruta managed to keep things from being a total blur. Sure, there are some tracks that are “stereotypical” whirlwind energy grindfests, such as the blasting “Durandal,””The Ursurper,” and “Minimal Progress” but when placed against tracks that slow things down with some meaty grooves, they keep a bit more of their luster. Lengthier tracks like “Submergence aka Barren Oceans of Infinity” and “Return to Zero” push a more methodical speed and rely on crushing riffs that will give listeners a breather from the constant barrage of blast beats and frantic riffing. What’s more interesting is how the band gets such a bottom heavy sound without a bassist, instead focusing their fury with two guitarists only. Yet another benefit is the way that Maruta puts riffs together. You’ll hear the explosive grind that you long for, but tempo shifts, sudden breaks, and interesting transitions keep Remain Dystopian from being a bore.
Fans of bands like Brutal Truth, Pig Destroyer, and Napalm Death will get a kick out of Remain Dystopian. Well done grind that stays in the parameters of the genre yet never feels stale or confined. It does what grind does best – providing a heaviness that would level buidings.
