Mordred are one of the original funk/metal crossover bands. They released two great albums in Fools Game and In This Life until they disappeared in ’94 only to make a surprise return with this release in 2021. Well, after all this time, have they still got the groove and hunger?
The groove? Not so much, but they’ve got hunger for sure. They come across now as a full on thrash band, very reminiscent of prime time Anthrax. The only track with that groove I mentioned is the title track and this is my favourite song on the album. It’s got a great off-kilter riff and groove that is so cool.
It’s a cool concept for an album. It’s about a travelling freak show circus and the front cover is really good. They sort of preceded themselves as the vibe and sound are about 87/88, and the album feels as though it was recorded back then. They also go completely against nearly every album ever recorded in the fact that they have made Side 2 better than Side 1. The other killer tune is the close out track Smash Goes The Bottle with its weird mash up of blues, Thin Lizzy, and a traditional Irish folk song.
Not a bad comeback, but could do better.
7.5/10 from The Grooveman.
