Album Review: Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster - 'II'

I reviewed Maylene's debut record for KYS last year and for those that didn't read it, I loved it! Their mix of wailing southern guitars, tough riffs and genuine, whiskey fucked vocals won me over the moment I heard the band.

On "II", MATSOD have built upon the already solid foundations of their earlier work, but there's a more predominant 80's rock element which wasn't present on their debut.

While "II" isn't a drastic stylistic departure from Maylene's self titled record, the band's song writing has improved in leaps and bounds. As much as I loved the first MATSOD record, there were definitely moments where I felt some of the more "mosh friendly" riffs could've been left out. This isn't the case on the "II" as every riff plays a part in the overall impact of the song.

Another noticeable difference between the two Maylene records is the inclusion of a 3rd guitarist. At first, I wasn't sure how much a 3rd guitar could bring to this band, but the additional axe beefs up the already chunky MATSOD sound. Tracks such as the awesome album opener "Memories Of The Grove" features 2 rhythm guitars working under the lead, which gives the song an incredible bottom end.

"Raised By The Tide" is one song where all 3 guitarists are given the opportunity to play off against one another - that is until the chorus when all 3 lock in for one of the most memorable choruses Maylene have penned to date. The extra layer that is prevalent on each track is something that more than validates the inclusion of another axe-man. With such a full sound seeing this band live would definitely be an experience.

It's definitely worth mentioning the acoustic style ballads at the tail end of the record. The ambient feel to these 2 tracks and the haunting vocals is a great way to close out an already enjoyable album.

Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster has the potential to do big things in the world of rock. They're hard enough that metal kids will give the band a listen, but at the same time, their ability to incorporate a singable melody into their tracks gives MATSOD an X factor that most bands are lacking (case in point, lead single and second track, "Dry The River").

An excellent sophomore release and one that y'all should check out.

   1. "Memories of the Grove"

   2. "Dry the River"

   3. "Plenty Strong and Plenty Wrong"

   4. "Darkest of Kin"

   5. "Raised by the Tide"

   6. "Wylie"