Originally written by Jason Jordan.
I doubt I’ll ever get the chance to use so many puns again, within a review introduction, so I’m going to capitalize on the opportunity. It could be said that these unsigned blokes came out of Knowhere. Or, I could sidestep their name altogether and ask you where you were on “April 14th, 9:15 A.M.” Whichever way I decide to open this can of worms is mostly irrelevant when the crux of the matter is as follows: labels pay attention as this quick-fire death metal band (with occasional glints of thrash and black) merits attention, and perhaps something far greater than that.
For some odd reason, Naglfar penetrated my thoughts after judging The Mascot’s style and sound. Interestingly enough, maybe if Naglfar leaned more toward death metal than black metal – and had an overt sense of humor – then the two bands could be compared more seamlessly. But, melodious numbers such as “To Extinguish the Stars” and “After Sunset” don’t lend credence to the aforementioned statements, though Knowhere suddenly becomes more congruous with, for instance, Immortal Souls or other melodeath troupes. However, oftentimes, “The Spotlite Men” and “The Mascot” utilize the nuances of BM in order to relay the music.
Concerning humor, then, “April 14th, 9:15 A.M.” has a section where Kov (vocals, drums) drops out of the instrumentation completely, but makes a grand reentry by shouting “Bass drum!” which is followed by a torrent of single-kick drumming. It’s not hilarious, I concede, though it is endearing in its own peculiar way. Similarly, the title track, known as “The Mascot,” sandwiches a ska-esque interlude between two heavier sections a la Crotchduster. The latter is, for sure, a totally unexpected inclusion.
Knowhere, different from what one may believe due to their unsigned status, have a lengthy history together, and The Mascot is a credible testament to that piece of information. It goes without saying that the quartet ingested an amalgam of influences, digested them, and then regurgitated the slimy contents – tastefully I might add – to form this slab of eclectic metal. Record companies should be nudged to check these Swiss out more so than consumers, but don’t let that dissuade you from going Knowhere. Heh, another bad pun. Sorry, they seem to follow me around like stray dogs and metalcore albums.
