13th July 2023

Review: “Self Titled” by Mammoth Caravan (1st Anniversary)

The debut EP from Little Rock, Arkansas Sludge Doom trio Mammoth Caravan was very much the twin track demo for the full length album that followed in “Ice Cold Oblivion” seven months after the fact. An ancient precursor or cave painting if you will that served as a foretelling of the monolithic concept record which tells the story of a baby mammoth that strayed from the herd. pursued by a primitive nomad hungry for blood. It also serves as the first commitment of music to tape from vocalist and bassist Brandon Ringo, guitarist Evan Swift and drummer Robert Warner…

…it pays, as they say, to never judge a book by its cover because this twin track effort runs to in excess of 13 minutes of music and is in that way longer than many twenty seven track Grindcore records so you’re not going to be short changed here. As with all demos (or as this is titled in some places, a promo), these cuts have a stripped down sound and aren’t as well mixed or mastered as perhaps they could be but in truth that raw edge is something that plays to the bands strengths. Compared with the final version and album title track, here “Ice Cold Oblivion” has more of an unhinged sounding vocal from Ringo, which still having those haunting ethereal backing vocals that give it a shimmer in the darkness of the fuzzy Sludge guitar tone. It’s the metaphorical reincarnation of the sounds of primitive man around a camp fire in the dead of night with hypnotising monolithic riff worshipping qualities and something you can picture someone like Converge guitarist and producer Kurt Ballou wanting to sink his teeth into at GodCity Studios in Salem Massachusetts for a future full length. The rendition of “Nomad” in demo form is more than 100 seconds longer than the distilled version that made the album, another fuzz bubble affair from a black tar pit of a rehearsal space for your listening pleasure. The extended solo is a ripper while the gang chanted “Hunt! Kill! Eat!” is a classic fist pumping stuff for when these cuts get played live. They maybe demos but they are well worth a listen for fans of the album [7.5/10]

Track Listing