I discovered Sweden’s Mutation on Facebook in 2023. I came across a video of them playing live and they were absolutely killing it. That got me digging into the band and their releases, and I ended up spreading the word about them to a few friends here in Singapore.
Mutation play old school Death Metal with a strong Death/Thrash Metal streak running through it. The late ’80s influence is all over this demo, with Possessed and early Death coming to mind, while some of the riffing has that ugly Necrovore and Sadistic Intent feel. There are also moments that bring early Morbid Angel to mind, especially when the guitars get darker and more twisted.
‘Powers From The Void’ comes in with fast, aggressive riffing and that old Death/Thrash Metal feel right from the start. ‘Severed Souls’ gets darker and heavier, with some really good guitar work and those deep, rough vocals sitting nicely over the top. ‘Imprisoned With The Pharaohs’ is the longest track and gives the band a bit more room to move between faster sections and heavier passages.
The Swedish connection is there, but I wouldn’t put Mutation in the same box as the typical Stockholm Death Metal bands. There is more of that early Death/Thrash Metal character running through the music. The guitars have a gritty sound, the drums have a natural feel and the vocals carry enough reverb to give everything that underground atmosphere.
I can also hear why Poison Void came to mind while listening to this. There is a similar appreciation for straightforward old school Death Metal and a raw underground sound. Mutation have more Thrash Metal in their riffing, while Poison Void lean darker and heavier, but there is definitely some common ground between the two.
What makes ‘Demo ’23’ enjoyable is that Mutation don’t overcomplicate things. The riffs do the work, the songs move along nicely and there is enough variation between the three tracks to keep you coming back to it.
Three tracks, around eleven minutes and plenty of old school Death/Thrash Metal. That’s Mutation.
