the week between the 27th october – 31st october will be a celebration of a band that i’ve been kinda obsessed with since discovering them a few months ago. formed by two anonymous brothers in san francisco, usa, back in 2008 (also recording in beirut, lebanon), mamaleek have been creating some of the most intense metal music, often jazzy, ambient, prog-rock or psychedelic rock influenced. 8 albums in, the obscure band have become one of the most expansive, daring bands out there, continuously refining yet expanding their sound, exploring new sonic landscapes through different genres and energies. excited to delve into their incredible discography! next up, their 2011 masterpiece kurdaitcha.

released: march 11, 2011

genre: black metal / experimental

from: san francisco, usa

label: enemies list home recordings (the flenser, 2021 reissue)

a few thoughts: a kurdaitcha is an aboriginal figure from central australia, also called a “featherfoot,” who serves as a traditional shaman and executioner, tasked with avenging a death. mamaleek’s third studio album fits that kind of energy perfectly, with abrasive and hellish moments, brought by the screeching vocals, the rumbling guitar leads and thumping basslines throughout. the drum programming on the opener “the hypocrite & the concubine” has these thick synths and this whistle-like melody that is overpowered by the distortion of the guitars throughout. the pummelling energy on “wake up, jacob” is infectious, while the piano keys and melodic moments on “my body rock long fever” plays like an eerie fever dream. the abrasive “you can bury me in the east” has a subtle underlying piano and guitar melody that is fantastic, with the second half of the track sounding bluesy. the eerie ambient “what a trying time” captures an unsettling energy that builds into this groovy, percussion-heavy energy. “the white marble stone” has these distorted riffs yet ethereal synth lead that perfectly complements the wailing and desperate vocals. lyrically i’m still trying to understand what things they’re saying, but knowing their work i’m sure it’s drenched in dystopian, post-apocalyptic but also politically charged words. “some valiant soldier” closes the project off with a cathartic, noisy composition, with subtle arabic influences in the underlying melody. kurdaitcha is a harrowing piece of work, the most direct and bold project they released at the time, and still amongst their most revered albums.

the album: