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. first up, their 2008 self-titled debut.

released: february 11, 2008

genre: black metal / experimental

from: san francisco, usa

label: self-released

a few thoughts: it can be easy to sometimes write off a band’s debut after releasing continuously incredibly immersive albums, one after the other. to be honest, mamaleek was an album i really got around to listening to properly from start to finish a few days ago. just for context, my introduction to the band came with 2020’s come & see. i was obsessed with that album for a good month or so, then moved forward in time to listen to their newer stuff, then made my way back. and having listened to their newer material, i can confidently say that their debut is as adventurous and experimental as their other albums, bringing ambient, punk and even dance influences to an energetic, menacing body of work. from the stunning piano-led piece of “give up the world”, to the closer “shall i die”, the album features heavy guitar leads and melodies, and drums that hit like hip-hop beats at times. the second half of “i wish i was dead” are an example of this. yeah, this album is bleak. the lyrics are desperate, oftentimes unintelligible. but the angst in the lead singer’s voice, the muffled screaming, is powerful and relays so much emotion. the eerie hip-hop groove of “deep river” is chilling, as the lead singer screeches over a bass-heavy groove that then falls into a distorted, gloomy soundscape, with screams that sound like a plea for help. the tribal conclusion, with the distorted synths and guitars make for an unsettling and uncomfortable listen. the near 18-minute centerpiece “shout on, children” is quite the sonic ride. a playful, country-esque opener, with fun guitar leads, to intense drumming and vocals, to a dim ambient and noise soundscapes that capture this unsettling and scary energy throughout. i just love cool soundscapes, vast, atmospheric and emotive soundscapes. this album is full of them. one of my biggest critiques of a lot of death metal bands is that either there is no melody whatsoever with the guitar leads, or the vocals being a bit too obnoxious or corny, but this is such a refreshing new find for me. the way they build their sonic soundscapes, the way they combine different sounds and instruments to add to their world is just so inspiring to see. while not my favourite album of theirs, what a statement this is as a debut album with a world of possibilities in front of them. mamaleek is an ambitious debut record from a band that are only getting started.

the album: