Thee Oh Sees, Mutilator Defeated At Last

by Troy Burk
Music Reviewer

Artist: Thee Oh Sees
Album: Mutilator Defeated At Last
Label: Castle Face Records
Released: 5/18/2015

Thee Oh Sees front man John Dwyer has been busy since releasing the last Oh Sees record Drop. Dwyer who has successfully put out an album for his solo side project Damaged Bug, has also been running his record label Castle Face Records and touring frequently with Thee Oh Sees. Mutilator Defeated At Last shows Thee Oh Sees musically at a much different place than they were last year. Dwyer enlisted the help of a new bassist Timothy Hellman and two new drummers Ryan Moutinho and Dan Rincon for a much cleaner sounding record.

The opening song “Web” showcases the changes made to the band over the past year. You can actually understand Dwyer’s vocals since the fuzz has been turned down and instead of a straight-forward garage rock jam, the song builds on itself. This can also be heard in tracks like “Poor Queen” and “Sticky Hulks.” In true Oh Sees fashion they have also recorded a new version of an older song “Lupine Ossuary.”

Mutilator Defeated At Last is Thee Oh Sees 14th studio album but they still sound like a new and fresh band. This album shows a completely different side of the band that is usually reserved for their live shows. Thee Oh Sees translated their live energy and talent onto a record and it makes for an exciting half hour of listening.