Review: “Horrific Mooktation” by I Am Mook

Exactly how long I Am Mook have been around is something we’ll have to ask them in an interview because it doesn’t seem possible to be as prolific as the dates on their discography suggest… could they?! What we can say is that they have a pair of albums in “Mooklear Disaster” and “Mooklear Fallout” that had a cover of “Counting Worms” by Knocked Loose and an EP titled “The Nightmare Continues” sandwiched between them, which can’t possibly all have been written, recorded and unleashed in the space of twelve months. What those records did was help the Jacksonville North Carolina four piece wrecking crew establish a sound somewhere between the realms of Deathcore and Slamming Brutal Death Metal with a range of lyrical themes around a contempt for humanity. Built on chaos and living in sin, vocalist Tom Verbos, guitarist Todd Holbrook, bassist Matt Wilson and drummer Malachie Smith present their latest burnt offering “Horrific Mooktation“, an affair mixed and mastered by Brace McKnight.

Resistance is futile as a 911 call is interrupted at the start of “Too Poor to Pay Attention” by the brutal roar of Verbos, a man who sounds very much like a beast from the black depths as he combines shrill throat shredding death growls with more gravelly tones. The soundscape over which he spits his venom is front loaded with staccato riff breaks from Holbrook which allow the rhythm section of Wilson and Smith to pummel the discerning listener into submission. Its all blood an thunder with surgical blasting and clever fills with a couple of hints at dark humour, including a false ending with the sound of a gun being cocked before a downtempo breakdown and some Slam inspired vocals. There isn’t a seconds rest after that fierce opening with Brandon Watson of Miserys End and Brace McKnight of Klevaer joining the four piece for the brutality that is “The Path of the Righteous Man“. Another heavy hitter of seismic proportions, this one is a moment of laser guided precision and cuts like razor wire before a sample ushers in “Spilt Milk“. The intense white heat that I Am Mook generate is enough to cause a brain haemorrhage in those who haven’t been conditioned and this one is a punishment beating of the finest order. Lyrically calling out those who spend their lives bitching about others on social media rather than cutting their own path to Valhalla, it’s a knockout blow from a prize fighter.

Flipping the script to something more science fiction horror orientated “Am Exercise of Force” smashes with weighty grooves, abandoning any song structures in favour of telling a dark tale of aliens from the void who have come to eat humanity alive. A fat free powerhouse at just 119 calories (or should that be seconds?) it finds the band dropping napalm before watching the world burn with an evil grin. Crown Magnetar vocalist Dan Tucker is an obvious choice to join I Am Mook for “The Code“, a track this nothing short of an artillery shelling of rhythmic battery. What’s interesting about it is that there is a dark undercurrent that is both politically charged and socially aware, declaring humanity to be consumers, products of possessions who are subliminally kept silent and made to obey. Fighting against that with a firestorm of bludgeoning riffs they call for anarchy as if inspired by James DeMonaco’s “The Purge“. Who knew Deathcore had the power to be thought provoking? A tale of perpetual agony and depression at the state of world “Please End Me” is so dark that the men in white coats have a straight jacket on standby for Verbos. His bloodcurdling vocals sound like spontaneous combustion, the riffs are spine juddering and that’s all Jessica Fletcher wrote… [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Too Poor to Pay Attention
2. The Path of the Righteous Man (ft. Brandon Watson of Miserys End and Brace McKnight of Klevaer)
3. Spilt Milk
4. Am Exercise of Force
5. The Code (ft. Dan Tucker of Crown Magnetar)
6. Please End Me

“Horrific Mooktation” by I Am Mook is out 20th August 2025 and might be available over at bandcamp