The Mass — Holocene #6

This is my first exposure to the Mass, and I must say, this EP was not what I expected. The cover art, and the fact that their last album was on Crucial Blast gives you some hints that you might be in store for some thrashy metal. And that is the case, sort of. The fact is, the four tracks presented here include some old school thrash elements, but they're also somewhat hardcore punk, and most oddly, jazzy. There's some free-form sax blowin' here, which you might think would sound out of place in this context. But it works so well, you be left wondering why Slayer never tried it. The jazz element makes them original, but the fact of the matter is, pretty much every base covered here is done well.

Right out of the gate, first track, Trbovlue, lets you know you're in for a treat. It's a catchy, thrashy malevolent riff fest. This is why EP's were invented. There's no editing necessary, just four tracks of non-stop energy. The last track ends Holcene #6 with a nearly 12 minute long, doomy, almost boogie riff of all things, complete with point-counterpoint soloing between shredding guitar and sax. I've read that this EP is limited to 200 copies, but despite it's 2007 copyright date, it appears as if you can still order this directly from the band at CDBaby.

This EP gives ample evidence that the Mass are a creative and talented band. It's amazing that they have fallen under the radar. The artwork, by Jon Wayshak, is wonderfully fiendish as well. The representations of the band members remind me of Ralph Steadman's work with Hunter S. Thompson, only even more macabre. Time to go poor seeking out their back catologue.