Maggot Heart
Hunger – Svart Records
A twang of bass and a clang of drums, and let there be music. Raw, edgy, razor sharp music made by Berlin-based bad ass alt/post-punk outfit Maggot Heart. First song ‘Scandinavian Hunger’ holds nothing back. Its rhythm is dark and driving, and the melody makes you feel distinctly uneasy. The vocals are decisive and will not be taking any s**t anytime soon. ‘Archer’ is eerie of intro, audible of lyric and jingly jangly of piano. And like so much of ‘Maggot Heart’, it’s haunting. The album is the equivalent of a smile which slowly, slowly turns downwards into a frown; that process of thinking ‘this is fun’, before the enormity and seriousness of a situation hits you. Linnéa Olsson’s (Maggot Heart’s own beating heart and soul) voice is hypnotic. ‘Hunger’ has a range of instruments, and when the songs are allowed instrumental sections these can be incredibly moving, while at times they are literally background noise. Because it’s Linnéa’s voice and musical vision that steal the show here.
Review by Jo Wright