Album Review: Bad Mask bring heavy assault on V2

Bad Mask, V2

Medford, NJ

Self-Released

For fans of: The Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch, Coalesce, and Red Light Green Light

Bad Mask provides a relentless metal assault on their second release, V2. The nine songs on this album clock in at less than 30 minutes and are totally in your face and noisy. They have a heavy back and fourth sort of tingly guitar sound reminiscent of Botch. They have hints of Dillinger Escape Plan infused in the music but not quite as innovative. Their sound is heavy, mathy, aggressive, and sporadic.These are not easy to the ears,. At times the vocals are less than stellar but overall captures an emotional vulnerability by singer Don who has two different screaming vocal styles, you have to hear to understand.

The opener “Alleycat Blues” is on of the best. “I'm coming for you” is screamed in such an angry way and the song has all these different parts going on that makes the song interesting. It's an intense song. The way Don repeats “we keep running and running” is compelling. “To get it back, you have to take it back” is a great line. It ends with just guitar before it slowly fads out. In “Gatekeeper” he screams “I've had enough.” I'll fast forward to the last track "Untitled XI" where he screams "Work, work, work, work, play, work, work, work, work, play." The lyrics are worth a closer read. You can get them here. This is a straight up heavy record for someone looking for more than a chug chug riff in their metal.

Bad Mask is Dan Mannix on drums, Don Tiver on vocals, Nolan Walz on bass, 

Chris Cugliotta on guitar, and Dan Pilla on guitar.

V2 is available for free download at badmask.bandcamp.com.

V2
Tracklisting:
01. Alleycat Blues
02. Al Goro
03. Gatekeeper
04. Hot Garbage
05. Bad Mask
06. Atlas Grip
07. Dennis Nedry
08. The Hammer
09. Untitled XI

Cover Artwork by Justin Evans and Dan Manni.