Genghis Tron - Dead Mountain Mouth

Genghis Tron
Dead Mountain Mouth
Crucial Blast
Grade: A

Genghis Tron first sparked our interest with last year’s debut EP Cloak of Love on Crucial Blast. Now, the three-piece from Poughkeepsie, NY has stroked our passion with their brilliant debut full-length Dead Mountain Mouth. If you have a pulse and have at least a general interest in heavy music, then Dead Mountain Mouth should be your companion for the next few months.

A general reaction to a first listen of Genghis Tron for even the non-schooled goes along the lines of ‘wow, this is crazy, but, for some reason I can’t peg, also really good.’ And that was the reaction to the band’s five-song balls-out dance-metal destroyer EP Cloak of Love. The EP, along with a swath of touring, has led the band to emerge as one of the most innovative and exciting heavy music bands to come along in years. Consider the fact that Kurt Ballou recorded the ten-song Dead Mountain Mouth at his Godcity Studios for further vindication of what the heavy hitters think. Unlike Cloak of Love, however, Genghis Tron move beyond simple noise shifted into dance electronic pieces and take a considerably more varied utilization of sounds and tempos on Dead Mountain Mouth. Less abrupt and more intertwined and conceived, the sonic soundscapes of the record leave the boundaries of genres strewn and decapitated.

The thirty-one minute record kicks off on “The Folding Road” with thirty seconds of noisy jazz before blasting a full-out assault on your ears. But while it begins as somewhat ordinary noise, you soon get treated to the electronic breakdowns and enhancements. If you never have heard Genghis Tron before “The Folding Road” is an excellent introduction to the maelstrom. “Chapels” continues the path with a stronger use of operatic guitars and wide swath of electronic breakthroughs. Nocturned with a folky whisper is “From the Aisle,” which tramples softly for two minutes for a minute of brutal metal. Getting things back to balls-out demolishing is the title track where the guitar gymnastics are quite reminiscent of Ballou’s Converge. On the longest track of Dead Mountain Mouth, “White Walls,” Genghis Tron uses spastic guitars to accentuate the haunting electronic foundation before launching into more controlled movements. After the short instrumental electronic number “Badlands,” the band moves seamlessly into “Greek Beds” with the reckless abandon of the Locust’s brother. “Asleep on the Forest Floor” begins with Close Encounters-type electronics as it merges with industrial beats and guitars. The instrumental “Warm Woods” follows up the opening of “Asleep on the Forest Floor,” adding electro-beat and noise guitars. Dead Mountain Mouth closes on “Lake of Virgins” with the now classic Genghis Tron non-classifiable assault; nearly a perfect close to path breaking record.

Although Genghis Tron will never get the love, attention, and success that they surely deserve in this lifetime, you can still enjoy one of the most innovative bands in the world with Dead Mountain Mouth. Also, it is fun to tell people that one of your favorite bands is Genghis Tron; just rolls off the tongue. As groups like the Locust, Converge, and Mike Patton’s various projects have influenced avant-garde heavy music bands, Genghis Tron will as well and this is now your second notice.