There’s an alternate reality, a shadow world if you will, where Mean Mistreater, the Austin, TX metal upstarts came out in the late 80s, and after months of hard work delivered their sophomore album Do or Die to the label. The response from some cigar-chomping exec with dollar signs in his eyes (I’m thinking specifically of this image) would leer and hand them a dictionary-sized pile of notes, probably starting with things like “the drums are too busy”, “why is it so fast?” and – perhaps most horrifying – “can you make it more, you know…sexy?” Thank god we don’t live in that shadow world, and thank god Mean Mistreater are here not changing a damn thing from their fantastic debut, giving us a ripping storm of a heavy metal record, all bite to accompany its massive bark.

I discovered the band by randomly going through the promo piles and featuring their debut Razor Wire in February’s Month That Was…and couldn’t shake how damn good it was. Taking the classic hard rock and heavy metal sound from the 80s and giving it a scrappy kick to the teeth, every single track sounded like it was out for the kill, hanging on by a – well, a razor wire (sorry not sorry) and bleeding with each ferocious riff, solo, and vocal performance. The production was perfect for the music – no polish to be found, just searing and in your face in a way that allowed every lead to lacerate, every percussive blast to pummel your senses. And all coming in at a brisk 27 minutes, the “get in and get out” approach leaving everyone wanting more. When I saw the promo for Do Or Die land I immediately grabbed it, downloaded it and took a look: eight songs, 27 minutes. Things looked good that everything I loved before was still intact. I hit play and 27 minutes later was practically jumping out of my seat to hit it again.

Yup. Safe to say everything in still intact. Not only that, the band is even more vicious this time out.

I’m not even sure where to start: do I talk about how great the guitar work is from Quinten Lawson and Alex Wein? Because whether it’s the looping sleaze attack of “Nothing’s Free” with its accompanying killer lead work, or the chugging doom stomp of “Three of Swords” they are never less than fantastic. How about the incredible locked in rhythm work of bassist Theron Rhoten and drummer Joaquin Ridgell? Rhoten’s bass isn’t showy, but perfectly anchors the guitars and drums, laying out that low-end frequency so that it rumbles through the speakers and into your gut. And Ridgell’s drum work is furious; never content to sit back, he sounds like he’s constantly pushing the band to go faster, go further and drive each song directly through a house. The way he propels opening track “Killer Red” you’d think the song were going to derail any minute, a feat the band captures every single minute Do Or Die is playing.

Finally there’s the vocals of Janiece Gonzalez. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact alchemy she’s creating, but over the course of two albums and approximately 54 minutes of music she’s fast becoming one of my favorite voices in metal. Her voice has the grit of experience I’ve come to love from folks like Janis Joplin, and I make no apologies for that comparison. It’s not just that Gonzalez is a powerhouse, but that she does it not from standing out but by blending in perfectly with what the band is creating. Equally adept at the blues-drenched sleaze like the aforementioned “Nothing’s Free” (maybe my favorite track on the album right now) to the more classic trad metal of powerhouse “Walk With Fire” Gonzalez uses her voice to lift the band to even greater heights. The math of how she manages to do that while the band does the same to her is something I leave to the scholars to resolve.

Maybe somewhere down the line Mean Mistreater will evolve their sound. Who knows, perhaps there will come a day where we get a full-on doom album, or something that goes for a thrashier, speed attack. Based on their success with Do Or Die, I’ll follow them wherever their muse ultimately takes them, but I’d be perfectly happy if they continue to just let their heavy metal flag run wild and free – there aren’t enough bands pushing this brand of pure Heavy Metal in a way that’s convincing, so long may Mean Mistreater continue to carry this torch.

Pray it never gets extinguished.

— Chris

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Do Or Die will be available February 21 from Dying Victims Productions. For more information on Mean Mistreater, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.