Fronted by the wild, energetic and charismatic frontman Ezekiel Ox, the now-defunct Mammal are a rare find. They're a band with a refined, properly produced sound with a rather small fanbase and songwriting history, save for Ox's previous band, Full Scale. After their surprisingly triumphant self-titled EP, Mammal returned to the studio to produce an album of entirely new material, rather than taking some songs from their EP or previously recorded material.
"The Majority" opens with one of the band's best, and most distinctive tracks, "The Aural Underground" and truly fulfills its purpose as an opener. Truly, this is a prime example of the perfect opener, a track that gives the listener a feeling of excitement and anticipation after placing it in the car stereo for the first time, urging the listener to treat the record as a whole, as a gapless piece of art. The simple, wah-laden intro sounds ingenious at first, as it explodes into the verse with pounding guitars, throbbing bass and raw, no-holds-barred drumming, while Ezekiel Ox lets loose with politically charged fury and aggressiveness. The chorus is bliss, charging through with the lyrics "We're not askin'/ We're just doing/We ain't no hit machine/We're just here to please your soul". First single and slick hard-rocker "Smash the Pinata" continues the great first impression. Ox raps raspily over a funky bassline and winding guitar effects for the initial course of the song, with small breaks into aggressiveness in the chorus and bridge sections. The real deal comes with the final minute, which are among the record's best moments with its furious guitar and quick-tempo rapping and screaming from Ox. Second single "The Majority" presents itself without hesitation, and the aggressive intro explodes into perhaps the best song of the album. "The Majority" contains some of the most politically fuelled lyrics on the record, with Ox commenting on racism and prejudice between the Australian people and refugees and foreigners. "Clear Enough" is another highlight, boasting a surging beat and some of Ox's best rapping and harshest, dirtiest lyrics. It's yet another track assured a place in the inevitable Mammal mixtape of their very best.
Highlights aside, The Majority contains quite a consistent number of good but less-than-amazing tracks, such as that of the funk-ridden, Chili Peppers-esque "Mr Devil", the feel-good, slightly poppy "Religion" and the slow-burning "Hollywood Shrine", all of which are thoroughly listenable to any avid rocker.
With that said, Mammal's "The Majority" does have its fair share of filler tracks, of which have little to no listening value: the repetitive, irritating and musically stale "Burn Out", progressive closer "Living in Sin", and hands-down, worst song on the album, "Zero Infinity". The latter actually sports a Didgeridoo that seems forced, out of place, and is just outright annoying. It's a reminder of QOTSA's "Lightning Song", from Rated R, which was equally as irritating and, coincidentally, also the second last song on the record. Furthermore, its appearance on the record just seems to be a poor attempt at showing pride in the band's culture.
Throughout the course of the entire album, Eric Sarafin's production is consistently exquisite, who has clearly made a great deal of effort to translate the band's live sound into album format. Pete Willamson's riffs are one of the core elements of the band, and whenever present they're always satisfying and electrifying. The rhythm section, consisting of Zane Rosanoski on skins and bassist Nick Adams are a dangerous combination, who work as tight as any rock 'n roll rhythm section should.
While the band racked up an impressive amount of material over their relatively short lifespan, (An EP, a double A-Side single, two live albums, a wealth of live-only songs and now, a full-length album), one might wonder if taking perhaps a few of their best, previously released songs might have made The Majority a more accomplished and consistent record. Nevertheless, it's an energetic and unique record, equal parts rock and funk, that will appeal to any avid rock fan. And with the band now split, it's an excellent representation of what was, and what could've been of Mammal as a band.
