New Music Review: Brotality Releases New EP in “It Feeds” Today
–by Robert Wilkins
Today Metal and thrash gods Brotality are back with a brand-new EP titled It Feeds. The band is comprised of Bryce Maopolski (guitar/vocals), Reece Maopolski (bass/vocals) and John Haring (drums). Hailing from the great state of New York, the band have been hard at work the last few years. So far, they have released 4 EP’s, 2 full length albums and a slew of singles.
While the band cites Mastodon, Metallica, and Megadeth as influences, I hear a lot more going on. I would be remiss if I didn’t add that I can hear undertones of Paramore and Motorhead. They also play bombastic grooves and input time changes on par with any prog metal band.
The album kicks off with furious guitar riffs and thunderous drum rolls before breaking out if full on chaos. The song titled “Black Abandon” boasts great vocals offset by death metal sounding growls. There are well-designed time changes in this song along with some tasty bass breaks. It’s a high energy banger worthy of grabbing your attention and a great way to start an album.
“Cryptic Worship” starts with a bassline by Reece Maopolski and it has the coolest tone I’ve ever heard. Bryce Maopolski soon comes in with a riff that is as heavy as anything ever recorded and it isn’t long before he is laying down leads that will melt your face. There are a ton of metal styles represented in this song. Classic, modern, and melodic metal to name a few, along with hints of doom and death metal. Not to mention, the brothers even perform a call and response vocal run in the middle of the song.
“It Feeds” is the third song on this EP. It begins in a very classic metal vein but with a very fresh twist. The song quickly transforms into a frenzy of speed and aggression and back. It is an emotional rollercoaster of the rock n roll kind and I would be doing a disservice to John Haring if I didn’t mention that he plays his ass off, pushing the song forward. I’m betting that it will only be a matter of time before smoke will be emanating from his double bass pedals.
“Nightswimmer” is the second to last song on the album. Let me tell you, I wouldn’t swim at night, during the day or in the afternoon if I had to worry about anything in the water that looked like this song sounds. It’s a mid-tempo stomper that truly brings the heavy! The riffs are as dense as molasses and the rhythm section are right in the pocket. Dare I say, this is what Black Sabbath would sound like if they were a new band.
The album closes out with the 6-minute blockbuster “The Bones of God” and it is my favorite song from the album. It crosses into thrash, power metal and has an orchestral quality without losing its heaviness. All three members have shining moments throughout this song and their level of musicianship is truly on display.
In a world with so much prepackaged music, bands like Brotality are showing what can be done by simply plugging in and playing. It comes through that the brothers are doing this for the love of their craft and not because they expect to be the next big thing. Their music does not have any unnecessary fluff or filler. Just truth.
The EP is available
Catch Brotality on tour!
It Feeds Tour Dates
July 9 – Youngstown, OH – Westside Bowl
July 11 – Milwaukee, WI – X-Ray Arcade
July 13 – Bedford Park, IL – Magoos
July 14 – Madison, WI – The Crucible
July 16 – Des Moines, IA – Lefty’s Live
July 18 – Lincoln, NE – 1867
July 19 – Kansas City, MO – TBD
July 20 – Springfield, MO – Chains Unchained Fest*
July 21 – Huntington, AR – The Good Fight
July 23 – Jeffersonville, IN – Wrong Side
July 24 – Cincinnati, OH – The Comet
July 26 – Indianapolis, IN – Hoosier Dome
July 27 – Grand Rapids, MI – Mulligan’s
July 28 – Fort Wayne, IN – Piere’s (Stan’s Room)
July 31 – Columbus, OH – Dirty Dungarees
August 1 – Lakewood, OH – The Foundry
August 2 – Winchester, VA – What’s New
August 3 – Scranton, PA – TBD
August 4 – Oneonta, NY – Foothills PAC
* Festival date