Marmozets – Vexed

By Tom Aylott

There are certain moments in time that define your career. With MARMOZETS, ‘Passive Aggressive’ had every potential to be that moment, but swiftly on the tails of that fantastic EP follows another, more vital release.

‘Vexed’ is nightmarish, dissonant and bitter, and again, staggeringly accomplished for the collective age of the band. Opener ‘One Man Wolfpack’ acts as a statement of intent for the EP (and even the band themselves), as it introduces the darker sound and even underlying dance pulses between the beatdowns and guitar acrobatics. By the time the EP reaches the frankly excellent guitar work on ‘Duels’ it’s already a lot to take in, and as swirling closer ‘Arrive Alive’ brings things to a close, it’s hard not to be torn between getting it straight on repeat and pausing for breath to get your head around the more complex moments .

If you’re into the safer end of rock music, you might find yourself a little out of sorts with MARMOZETS, and in further pushing vocalist Becca into screams they may risk putting a few off, but the result is spectacular – the EP sees the band crank the math rock elements of their sound way beyond its predecessor, and it’s another indicator of just how far they’re able to push boundaries.

There’s an underlying feeling with MARMOZETS that they’re just waiting to explode, and the genre hybrid they’ve managed to form is still breathtaking. The band are unique in their field, and there’s nothing but bright things in the future for them – you’ll find new things to love on every listen.

TOM AYLOTT

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