Album number five from Scottish tech death beasts Man Must Die and 20 years on, they are showing no signs of slowing down or ea on the intensity. This is one fiery bruiser of an album that kicks off hard, and then brings down the boot in ferocious manner for the next 40 minutes.
It may have been a decade since their last release, 2013’s Peace Was Never an Option, but Man Must Die haven’t been idle, with the Gagging Order EP released in 2019 and single “Bring Me the Head of the King” dropping in 2021. A revamped line-up with original Alan MacFarland and Joe McGlynn having been ed by James Wright, Joe Corio and Michael Allen in the past five years brings an inspired and aggressive sound.
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It’s the savagery of “Patterns in the Chaos” that confirms the intensity still broods like a restless spirit within the band. A blistering blast that follows intro “O.C.D”, the words “Fuck it” are spat out as the band launch into pulverising breakdowns and punishing bursts of explosive riffing. They ease up on the tempo but not the crushing heaviness on the title track, and within six minutes Man Must Die have confirmed that this is an album of variation. The sinister bass lines and the keyboard riff that haunt “The Pain Behind it All” make it a compelling, haunting, and phenomenal track. And there’s still the rest of the album to digest.
In a review like this, you can’t actually listen to such a quality release sufficient times. All you can do is draw your views from the few listens and hope that you can absorb as much as possible. All I can say is that The Pain Behind it All is a phenomenal release. McGlynn’s snarling, angry delivery blends in perfectly with the dual guitar work and the huge engine room work that Corio and Allen secure. Corio’s performance is masterful, he drives everything good here with an ease that is simply relentless.
As the record progresses, you get a bit of everything. Riffs fall like hails of bullets, there’s a groove and punishing delivery that works on every level. There’s even a semi-Korn breakout on the rabid “Clickhate”, a song which needs no explanation. But nothing is delivered without a level of care and attention that puts many bands to shame. The keyboard introduction to “Enabler” echoes the likes of Parkway Drive, and Man Must Die demonstrate that they have as much power as the Australians with a thumping riff that branches out into a chugging, cutting piece of work. The guitar playing is stunning, another example that extreme usually means better musicians. In fact, the playing is off the scale at times.
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Reaching the longest track on the album, the six-minute plus “War is My Will”, the changes continue. It’s a jumping, jerking, stop start track that blends metalcore, djent and groove metal in one boiling collision which threatens to erupt at any minute. At times, Man Must Die seem on the verge of losing it, yet although they veer close to the edge, control always remains in their hands.
Simply put, this is a raging release that sends out one simple message: Man Must Die are back and coming for you.
The Pain Behind it All is out on February 17th
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