From Iceland — Your Joyous Future

Published March 13, 2015

Muck’s latest endeavour catapults them to heretofore-unreachable heights, perfectly capturing the band’s intense stage presence. ‘Your Joyous Future’ can be a tough pill to swallow after that first listen, but the monster quickly grows on you.

Muck come storming out the gates, all but overwhelming the casual listener in the first track, “Provoke Me.” Throughout, it keeps building on that volatile energy, all the while displaying the band’s refined songcrafting approach that ensures each instrument, each segment, get just enough space to shine.

The album has plenty of variety, with the 88-second whirlwind of a song “Time” and the slow and atmospheric “Martröð” providing sharp contrast. “Here Comes The Man” stands out as the album’s crown jewel with its weird time signatures, carefully controlled clash of instruments, and shouted lyrics that make you want to stand up and punch your father-figure in the gut (like all good hardcore should).

Go buy it already.

– Gabríel Benjamin
Rating: +

On their Prosthetic Records debut, ‘Your Joyous Future’, Muck continue to aggressively transgress—yet never egress—their progress. The whole album feels like an extended encounter with the Millwall Bushwackers, following a particularly bad loss. Although Muck have certainly come a long way from their humble beginnings, they still shill nifty parts in lieu of cohesive songs, favouring ferocity over finesse. Their true element is found on any stage Muck can burn down with the sparks caused by the friction of their hearts-ablaze performances against the innocent air around them—rather than a string of zeroes and ones documenting their lack of grasp of the value of proper transitions.

A lesson in brutal punishment for sure, but one perhaps better suited for a younger audience than myself, who has grown to appreciate force tempered with beauty, over a kick to the groin followed by a knee to the kisser.

– Bogi Bjarnason
Rating: +/-