Review: Mangled Carpenter – Under The Shadow
Mangled Carpenter was born out of the era of underground Christian death metal and grindcore in the mid-2000s. Like with most others who put out a small free release and then faded into obscurity shortly after, they poured plenty of raw brutality into the material they were eager to showcase. And who else would have done it other than a trio who grew up with a wide range of Christian metal in general: Seth Metoyer (guitars and vocals), his twin brother Kris Olson (bass and vocals), and Robert Sherlock (drums). 2007 saw the release of their four-song debut demo “First Offering” before they faded out of the scene… or at least they did for a decade. 2019 saw a remaster of their demo, now under the title “Early Slices”, and with a new track to showcase their updated sound. But it didn’t stop there.
Later that same year, new singles would slowly trickle into existence. “Mary’s Seven Demons”, released on Halloween of 2019, would be a taste of things that were soon to come, followed by “Slices”, released on Independence Day of 2020. These releases were slow but steady, as Mangled Carpenter would rise from the grave of obscurity and into the scene that inspired their very existence. And this updated style and sound would not be possible without the aid of Seth and Kris’ other brother Tim Olson, who now handled the drum programming (or should I say “inhumanly impossible thrashing beats”). As listeners dreamed of what would soon come from this new direction of Mangled Carpenter, that dream became a reality when their first full-length “Under The Shadow” released on May 7, 2021.
Originally released by Rottweiler Records’ short-lived sister label Hagah Recordings, “Under The Shadow” showcased Mangled Carpenter’s full transition from the underground scene into a much bigger picture. The album contains eleven fast-paced tracks of rapid brutality that only the Olson brothers can pull off with their unique style. The guitar shreds simply rotate through your brain like you have a buzzsaw as a vinyl record spinning in your head. But as you let that spin, please let those drum beats accompany it, much like the rain constantly tapping upon your head from a gutter you deliberately stand underneath just to feel it. And those vocals… how do I explain them? They’re like if peeling through bloody flesh in a medical operation had a voice, or maybe it’s coming from a parasite you found when operating and it needs to be extracted.
Speaking of extraction, the track “Extract The Ghosts” showcases a refined take on the previously-released single “Mary’s Seven Demons”, giving a more maddeningly-intense version compared to what we’ve heard before. But aside from all that general brutality, “Valley Of Dry Bones” gives us something more melodic; the tone changes as soon as you hear the first few seconds, and you find yourself in a more horrifying setting. And once you reach the final track “Fear And Trembling”, you hear that one lyrical line “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” ten times before the brutality cuts out and you are met with a cinematic synthetic outroduction that ends the album on a more hopeful vibe. It may be the end of the album, but it’s only the beginning of the journey’s continuation for Mangled Carpenter. Preparations would soon be made for their second album “Salvation Syndrome”, but that’s another story.
“Under The Shadow” was given a basic CD pressing when released by Hagah Recordings. But I was personally sent a more professional independent pressing by Seth himself, including a fold-out lyrics booklet and a transparent CD tray. You can still get a copy of the Hagah version from Rottweiler Records…
https://mangledcarpenterrr.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-shadow
But don’t forget to also support the band through their independent label Broken Curfew Records…
https://mangledcarpenter.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-shadow
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