by Patrick Pilch (@pratprilch)
Providence mega group Mulva (members of Kal Marks, Bethlehem Steel, Ex-Breathers, and Baglady) are back with their full-length follow-up to last year’s crushing Seer EP. Bitter Form is due out March 1st via Sad Cactus, and if “Ward Them Off” is any indicator of what’s to come, it’s best to keep an ear out.
This shit is heavy, heavy. Bitter Form was recorded with Seth Manchester at Machines with Magnets (Lingua Ignota, The Body, Lightning Bolt, Fang Island), and its lead single introduces the new alliance in punishing fashion. “Ward Them Off” blends expansive doom and straight up alternative rock for the excellent, new-sound Mulva. Drum and bass drive the song’s dirge-anthem chorus, thundering beneath Christina Puerto’s remarkably high-flying vocals. The band sounds impressively massive, and this song just kicks ass. I get a bit of everything here, from Multicult to Evanescence, to all the projects Mulva’s constituents have been a part of.
“Ward Them Off” gets me so fired up for new Mulva. If Seer EP was even a partial blueprint, “Ward Them Off” is the sound of the band’s executed plans, natural development, and dedication to the cause. Mulva has some dates lined up for the spring, so be sure to catch them on tour. Lookout for when Bitter Form releases on 3/1 and listen to “Ward Them Off” below:
TOUR DATES:
02/24 - Brooklyn, NY @ Purgatory w/ Gorgeous, Free Casino, & Rose of the World (Sad Cactus 10 Year Anniversary)
02/28 - Providence, RI @ Columbus Theater
02/29 - Boston, MA @ O’Brien’s
03/01 - Portsmouth, NH @ WSCA
03/02 - Florence, MA
03/28 - Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
03/29 - Kent, OH
03/30 - Reading, PA @ Pleasuretone
04/05 - Philadelphia, PA @ Cousin Danny’s
04/06 - Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville