by Jare C (@jareccurtis)
In the vast sea that is the music underground, it can be hard for artists to find a creative niche that allows them to maintain prolific releases while also staying fresh and varied. The creative parts of independent musicianship, oftentimes, can be bogged down by the necessity of business, or vice versa. Additionally, a lot of creatives have to wear a lot of different hats- be a producer, a performer, an events planner, an organizer, a graphic designer, a traveling t-shirt salesperson… It can be difficult to keep your creative vision fluid and dynamic. Somehow, surprisingly, Terrin Munawet, aka GBMystical, has never seemed to really have that issue.
GBMystical, a multi genre artist and independent producer based out of Philly, has a credits list longer than you’d think humanly possible. It seems as if anyone self-releasing any project, in the Northeastern US at least, is calling him up to help lend a hand in one way or another. Munawet’s last project, 2021’s Wind: Unearthed was a breezy, atmospheric indie folk romp that was as pleasant on the ears as it was refreshing and nuanced. The record before that, 2020’s Planet GB was a diverse project that mixed sounds of indie rock with hyperpop and electronic music. Before that, GBMystical was releasing bedroom pop, garage rock, folk rock, and indie pop throwbacks. Genre, it seems, is as fluid as water, for Munawet. However, by no means would one expect him to set his sights on tried and true sludgy, thrashy, groovy metal for his next project. Yet, that is exactly what The Mantis is - crunchy, pummeling and speeding with all of the hallmarks of a solid, pulsating five song EP.
While this abrupt genre change is certainly impressive, make no mistake: this is not impressive just as a lane change. The Mantis is a project that is versatile within its own environment. The punishing, throaty dirty vocals throughout hold incredible promise, with the rhythmic and driving performance on “Subliminal Impulse” being a sheer standout. In just five tracks, the record, additionally, maintains an admirable and steadfast amount of balance. Droney, stoner metal-esque cuts are then met with thrashing, powerful guitar lines, and truly impressive drum passages. Such is the case on the song “Nocturnal Punctures,” a cut that erupts into being, riffs and raves in all directions, and then plunges into the eerie depths of the final cut, “Dead Center,” a fuzz-covered song that drives record further into oblivion.
By and by, The Mantis is a gorgeously produced, disgustingly saturated, punishing collection of surprising tracks delivered from one of the most interesting producers and musicians in the underground today, and is a record whose roots defy any notion of novelty that may come with its existence.