When Man The Machetes unleashed their debut Idiokrati two years ago, their adrenaline-fuelled fusion of metal-informed hardcore punk’n’roll drew plenty of comparisons to Kvelertak, and deservedly so.
Second opus Av Nag doesn’t do much to dispel those associations, but it’s a more assured, often explosive offering that sees the musical magpies step out of their fellow countrymen’s shadow and begin to establish themselves as a formidable force in their own right.
Featuring nine energetic cuts, fans of early Pretty Girls Make Graves and At The Drive-In will adore the head-spinning guitarwork on Mennesketrapp, while elsewhere Ørkenmarsj boasts razor-sharp hooks and mountainous grooves, Tung Luft is an enjoyable, metallic sea shanty and the gang vocal-driven Til Døden Samler Oss is a future pit anthem. Though Av Nag does run out of steam towards the end, it’s still entertaining and full of plenty of neck-bothering hybrid moments.
