Sporting graphic imaginations, a flare for the dramatic and a taste for conceptual hullabaloo, Tallah emerged from Pennsylvania in 2018 ready to revamp the sound of early nu-metal. Drawing influence from the giants of the time, Tallah’s hybrid sound marries Slipknot and Korn with a modernized, hardcore edge. The band’s first EP, ‘No One Should Read This’ received some well-deserved critical acclaim, but Tallah thrive producing a fresh take on nu-metal, and their upcoming new album, ‘Matriphagy’, does this wickedly.
Combining the percussive punch of second-generation drummer, Max Portnoy, with the pained, furious vocals of Justin Bonitz, known predominantly for his YouTube fame, ‘Matriphagy’, sees Bonitz steering the narrative touched on in their debut EP. Namely, the toxic relationship of its mid-20’s protagonist, Kungan, has with his mother, Tallah. A paralyzed woman who locks Kungan away as her sole carer, their to fulfill her every request, including her desire to outfit him as the daughter she always wanted. Deathly afraid of his mother, Kungan finds solace in Labefou. A malicious, stuffed animal rabbit who may, or may not, be real.
Set to a backdrop of brutally heavy, war-torn metal musicianship, ‘Matriphagy’ positively showcases bold, and what feels like deliberately unprincipled performances on tracks such as “Placenta” and “Overconfidence”. Both of which demonstrate an intentional, well-crafted recklessness, feeling as if the train could come off the tracks at any moment. And occasionally it does. “L.E.D”, with its shaky vocals, vinyl scratching and unpredictable groove riffing cements its place as the standout track on ‘Matriphagy’. Refreshingly, “L.E.D” brings energy to nu-metal seldom heard in 2020. But Tallah don’t shy away from writing in a more reserved vain. “We, the Sad” and “The Silo” tastefully play with dynamics such as clean vocals, sombre verses, hook lines, and catchy riffs. And when the balance is struck on wild card songs such as the terrifyingly fun “Murder Seed” and “No One Should Read This” it makes for some truly impressive moments.
Still, if it talks a big game, musically and conceptually, there is nothing ground-breaking in Tallah, or on ‘Matriphagy’. A concept album about a suffocating mother pushing her son to edge of insanity, it reads like a heavy metal soundtrack to a Guillermo del Toro, Disney horror with a narrative that echoes the twisted relationship between Rapunzel and her ghastly mother, Gothel. Musically, contemporary outfits like Ded, Code Orange, and Dead Label are pushing this same envelope a lot further. As indeed, do Tallah on their best day. Here, however, their romance with the tension between the wild and restrained, that Tallah so brilliantly executed, give ‘Mathriphagy’ a certain pull. And once it reels you in, like Kungan, it can be pretty hard to escape.