Mongrel’s Evolution ~ Don’t Start Your Summer Without It

By Jennifer Russo

You know those people you meet who seem completely in control of themselves, yet you get this strange feeling that they could just go on a rampage at any second? Mongrel’s music reminds me of one of those people.  The instrumental is solid and controlled, but there is an edgy, punk, verge-of-explosion quality to it that’s just present enough to keep you a little on edge, not quite trusting that your eardrums aren’t going to be under siege at any minute.

Jessica Sierra

Evolution is a 5 track CD with everything you could possibly want in a punk/metal album.   It makes you hungry…no…RAVENOUS…for more with each passing note.  You get a small taste of it and you just want to feast on all the perfectly executed hooks, heavy rhythms and gloriously gritty vocals of fierce femme-fatale Jessica Sierra.  All the tracks exude a magnetic combination of seduction and pessimistic melancholy.

The first track, “Snakes,” is a great first glimpse of all that the band is capable of doing ~ and what the rest of the EP holds in store. Aptly named, it mesmerizes you like a swaying cobra does its prey and has a catchy chorus that pulls you in and swallows you whole.

“Oxygen Mask” is thought provking (don’t ever think Mongrel is a band without a brain or depth ~ you would be seriously, seriously mistaken), reminding us that we “…only get one shot at this life.”  For me, the song evoked images of someone weaving in and out of traffic ~ the band seemed to rein the music in at times and then give some slack to the line  (not a bad analogy for how the universe seems to toy with how much control we have over our lives).

“Consumed” is THAT track, the one that comes in with guitars blazing.  It’s fast, it’s forceful, and it climaxes quickly.  I will let your imagination run with that statement ~ but yeah…like that (and go ahead and deny it, but sometimes that’s what we all want ~ and it hits the spot, as does “Consumed,” like nothing else could).The guitar solo in this one is exquisite; I found myself rewinding to hear it a few more times before letting the reach its concludion, when harmonic yells kick in and leave you completely satisfied.  Horny yet?  Good!

The fourth track, “Best Revenge,” is a classic representation of all that is good in rock n roll.  It’s a big F-U to those days that get you so pissed you want to drive your car off a cliff, those times when you just want to give up and check out.  The song has a bridge that heartbeat-like in its delivery, bringing the audience in a little closer to be sure that they are getting the message loud and clear: “I could slit my wrists…but I won’t die…living is the best revenge.”

The album closes with my favorite track, “Over and Over.”  I love this song.  It’s got that magic about it that makes you want to set your player to repeat and you welcome that fact that it will be stuck in your head long after you’re done listening.  In fact, my neurons are firing with its sound since I mentioned it…excuse me, will you ~ time to rock out.

Mongrel

You can (and most definitely should) get Evolution via iTunes, Amazon.com,  Bandcamp, or directly from Unable Records.  Check here for Mongrel’s upcoming live dates because this is band who knows how to put on one hell of a show.

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