The Third Eye

The legendary Italian psychedelic doomers UFOMAMMUT are returning on Halloween with a new EP called Crookhead via Supernatural Cat, ready to blow your speakers into smithereens. Crookhead is intended as a foretaste of the band’s 10th studio album, which will be released in 2024.

Crookhead will be out in a limited edition vinyl version of 500 copies, with 200 in marble red vinyl, 200 in marble gold vinyl, and 100 in clear transparent vinyl that will only be available via merch sales during the band’s upcoming tour. Pre-order and grab these bad boys while they’re hot.

About UFOMAMMUT and Crookhead

UFOMAMMUT was formed in the late Nineties by Poia (guitars, FX), Urlo (bass, vocals, FXs, synth), and Vita (drums). Over more than two decades, the space sludge masters have combined crushing heaviness and riff worship with a nuanced psychedelic sound, creating a “cosmic, futuristic, and technicolor sound destined for absolute immersion.”

The band’s most recent album, Fenice, dropped in 2022 and represented the endless rebirth cycle and the ability to start again when everything seems doomed (Fenice translates to “phoenix” in Italian). It was the first recording with new drummer Levre, marking a new chapter for the band.

UFOMAMMUT also had a track on the excellent Superunknown Redux compilation from Magnetic Eye Records that paid tribute to Soundgarden. The band plays a cover of “Let Me Drown” that is worth your listening time.

The sick artwork on Crookhead is by Malleus Rock Art Lab, the rock graphic design collective that bandmembers Poia and Urlo are founding members of. UFOMAMMUT’s music has always been intertwined with its visual art, as Poia describes longer songs and compositions “like a painting” to reinforce the role of excellent cover art in the band’s music.

Lest we forget, one more important note is how to pronounce UFOMAMMUT. UFO stands for “Unidentified Flying Object,” and MAMMUT in Italian translates to “mammoth.” “UFOMAMMUT” should be pronounced in the Italian way, sounding like “oofomammoot.” Capisce? Good.

The Songs

Crookhead only includes three tracks, with the title track being by far the longest. Indeed, this is only an appetizer for the band’s forthcoming new album. I found out about the EP via The Doom Charts mailing list, and I knew I wanted to write about it because of how much I love this band. UFOMAMMUT and groups like Acid King set the bar for heavy psych and psychedelic doom.

The EP opens with the title track and brutal, explosive sounds like a rocket ship blasting into deep space. Over nearly nine minutes, the riffs pummeled this listener into submission, yet I was begging for more. “Crookhead” slows down and changes gears around the five-minute mark. But as so many metal memes like to say, the riff comes back slower and meaner, and we’re mucking through the space sludge in full testosterone fury. The band’s signature weird sound FX is present, too, which gives the track a psychedelic flair.

“Supernova” provides more finesse and experimentation than the standard fare of no-holds-barred punishment. The sound FX is employed to full effect in between the heavier sections, and instead of the audio clips of the previous tracks, there are some barely discernible vocals. The track doesn’t sound much different than anything else UFOMAMMUT has ever done, but the band has a winning formula they stick with, so why change it?

“Vibhrate” closes the EP, the shortest track at three minutes, 34 seconds. Angry vocals are a plenty here, interspersed with the weird sound FX and audio clips and, of course, down-tuned heavy metal power. It’s no coincidence that UFOMAMMUT contributed to the Superunknown Redux compilation. Much of their sound is similar to the heaviness of Soundgarden, but they take it a million times further (minus Chris Cornell’s amazing vocals, of course).

Final Thoughts

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the use of the term “psychedelic” among heavy metal/stoner/doom bands. Sometimes, the label is over-used and unwarranted; sometimes not. UFOMAMMUT is one band that simultaneously manages to be both psychedelic and incredibly heavy.

That said, their new EP Crookhead is not for the faint of heart. While it does employ some psychedelic effects, Crookhead is more suited for metalheads than plain old heads. Be prepared for a full-on sonic assault with this one. If you’re one of those metalheads and live in Europe, you can catch UFOMAMMUT on tour this fall, where they’ll play dates in Munich, Budapest, Paris, and many other cities. If not, Crookhead will drop on Halloween and open a portal to the underworld with its wicked sounds.

Support UFOMAMMUT by finding them on Bandcamp, their official website, or social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

Support The Third Eye on Patreon.

Sign up for email updates from The Third Eye below: