Brisbane groove rockers Mayhem For Mary may be taking an indefinite hiatus this year, but don’t despair, they’re gifting us their Greatest Hits album before they go. Filled with rambunctious energy, Greatest Hits is packed with aggressively upbeat jams that have the feeling of a rural American dive bar before a brawl breaks out. The album doesn’t pause for even a moment to let you catch your breath, with each song bringing its own unique liveliness to the mix.
Creep has some cool bass slides, which set an eerie undertone as the distorted vocals sing “I’m writing your name on my skin.” The harmonica on Come Along has intrigue and works well within the context of the song, adding an extra layer to an already diverse track. In fact, that’s probably a good way to describe the album as a whole – diverse. The band consists of bass, drums and vocals, yet these instruments are combined in such novel ways you never really miss the guitar. In the verses of Hatter the bass plays low, smooth riffs, whilst on other songs like Psych Night, bassist Wes Pollington uses higher-octave distorted licks. This variation is something rarely seen in this genre making it a great asset to the album.
The icing on the cake is the emotive vocals in each song, with front man Keith Dudley showing he’s capable of anything from softer crooning through to gravely belts. The drums are tight, with songs like Hatter showing off Laurence Fisher’s ability to hold down a syncopated beat, while still keeping things interesting.
Overall, Greatest Hits is a high-energy rock album with lots of variation, held together by skilled musicianship and strong vocals. It’s album that will keep listeners on their toes. Mayhem For Mary will be greatly missed within the Brisbane music scene, and we wish them all the best for the future.
Continue to relive the Mayhem For Mary magic with their Greatest Hits album, out now via Itunes and Bandcamp. You can also listen to Greatest Hits on Spotify.
