Mutiny is a solo Death Metal project. The brainchild of guitarist and history buff Sonaksh Singh Rawat. Mutiny draws its inspiration from legendary bands like Dying Fetus, Obituary, Death, and Bolt Thrower. Mutiny’s mission and vision are to present history lessons through the medium of crushing riffs and explosive compositions. Dead men tell no tales, but the men who survive because of their heroics, definitely do. Mutiny’s upcoming album, The Last Stand is going to focus on the greatest “last stands” in military history. Think of the 300 Spartans against the Persian hordes in Thermopylae or the Polish Winged Hussars against the Ottoman Army at the gates of Vienna, and you will know what the concept is all about. The album is due for a release later this year but before that, we will be reviewing its third track, Bataille De Camerone (Battle Of Camaron).
This song is focused on the famous Battle of Camarón which took place on April 30th, 1863. In this incredible battle, a skeleton troop of just 65 French Foreign Legionnaires clashed against 3000 Mexican soldiers. The song is an ode to the bravery of the French soldiers who swore an oath upon their captain’s wooden hand to fight until they died.
The track wastes no time getting upto speed as it grabs you by the scruff of the neck and imparts a brutal history lesson. As the chugging intro transitions into the first verse, you are instantly reminded of the Morbid Angel classic, Immortal Rites. Now, if your brand of death metal gives Morbid Angel vibes, you are doing a great job.
Bataille De Camerone paints a gory picture of the brutality of war through the metaphorical brushes of guitar, bass and drums. Fat riffs are trapped around a relentless rhythm section which marches on at a steady beat like a well-trained army (fits the theme well). The track has a solid guitar solo near the end which should’ve been louder in the mix. While Sonaksh’ death
metal croaks don’t reach Martin Van Drunen and John Tardy levels of brutality, they do their job very well by being surprisingly decipherable. It’s a history lesson after all, wouldn’t want to miss out on some key facts.
Bataille De Camerone doesn’t break any new ground within the death metal paradigm, but if you miss Bolt Thrower and its obsession with wars, there aren’t many better avenues for you than this.
Verdict: Put on your headphones and see if you can take notes while you bang your head.
