Metal Underground.com

The latest bowel-rumbling creation to crawl out of Boston’s fertile hardcore/metal underground, Motherboar come with a beefy, stoner/grind/thrash attack that hits with the force of a Vince Wilfork sack.

The centerpiece of this self-released sophomore release is a musical trilogy that starts with “I. Inhale,” which begins with a dreamy, guitar intro that quickly devolves into a chugging, guttural sensory assault. The next chapter, “II. Amphibious,” oozes dense sludge and is driven by fuzz guitar reminiscent of vintage Pentagram or Clutch. The album’s namesake is the punishing third chapter, “III. The Beast Becomes the Servant,” a runaway freight train of a track that crescendos with a fist-thrusting gang vocal chant.

They occasionally drift into proggy psychedelia, a la fellow Boston-natives Isis or even Mastodon, but the riffs are mostly direct, aggressive and always packed with power. There’s an organic, raw sound, but the production is pretty massive, so don’t expect some kind of lo-fi demo. This one simply explodes through the headphones with unbridled sonic force and intense clarity.

“Noose of Fire” channels High On Fire, while “Zombie Vomit” explores the world of the undead over speaker-scalding riffs and a hulking percussive thump. But the disc’s shining moment is “Camel Puncher,” which has a classic acid rock/heavy metal edge and an infectious hook that’ll have you reaching for the repeat button. It reminded me of the ballsy feeling I got the first time I heard Lamb of God’s “Redneck.”

Hopefully, this is a sign of good things to come.