When I first covered Wasp Mother almost two years ago, they were a three piece composed of guitarist/vocalist Kevin, bassist Pete, and drummer George, with a sound as vicious as “a swarm of bees” (as they put it).
Since then, they have expanded their already destructive sound and energy with the addition of vocalist Jenny Mac.
Jumping into the role this past summer, Jenny quickly made her presence known onstage and allowed Wasp Mother’s presence in the room become more ferocious and impressive, all the while whipping through songs about trauma, torturous memories, and waking up in the middle of surgery.
Never liking to pigeonhole their sound, Wasp Mother looks not just to grindcore to make their chaotic tunes but particularly hardcore, death metal, d-beat, skate punk and even sludge metal influences. There’s so much to pick from that they’ve witnessed over the years in the scene that they throw it all in there, and the results are some of the most deranged yet moshable grindcore being pushed out of Boston’s storied scene.
Their previously recorded tracks now feature vocal trade-offs between Kevin and Jenny and it makes the tracks even more unhinged—the way grindcore should sound.
Now with this lineup fully locked in and hardened through battle (playing shows), they’re ready to drop some of the new music they’ve worked on together. Coming to you with another 6 tracks of pure annihilation, Wasp Mother recently released the Digital Pollution EP, which sees the band at their tightest and most complete:
Jenny covers a wide range of vocal approaches across the EP, from hardcore yells and roars to death metal growls and throaty screams. Paired up with Kevin’s towering declarations, they make one of the more dynamic vocal duos I’ve seen recently.
To find her voice in this band, Jenny states:
"I’m a death metal girl, so a lot of Morbid Angel has made it into the rotation. I also dug into a lot of throwback hardcore shit and even Crowbar just to get into the headspace. Also, I’ve really dug Phobophilic lately, ‘Cathedrals of Blood’ is my jam.”
Pete and George make up the bands frenzied yet controlled rhythms, with George’s drumming in particular being a standout on tracks like “Gravemouth,” which builds and builds to a cataclysmic, blast beat-fueled latter half. Explaining his own influences, George cited Extortion and Triac. “I love their song structure,” he said, adding, “I’ve seen people wear Tragedy shirts forever but never really dug into them until recently, which I’m glad I finally did. A lot of Eyehategod and Unto Others, which is a weird influence because they’re like an upbeat goth band.”
Kevin’s guitarwork is what also allows Wasp Mother to maintain that “swarm of bees” sound, as his axe sounds just as crunchy and agile as it did on their previous releases. His ability to float with the sharp changes in the rhythm are what keep that energy going. Kevin also cited how the addition of Jenny on vocals felt freeing for him, as he enjoys being able to move around onstage. “I like to wield my guitar like a weapon and scare the shit out of people. I want you to have fun but I also want you to be a bit nervous,” he joked on the Topics Under the Stairs Podcast.
With Digital Pollution, Wasp Mother assures everyone that they’re at the top of their game right now. They seek to send the message that this music is more than just content, it’s an artistic expression of the way the world is. In an age of digital pollution, music has become a commodity and bands are forced to churn out half assed music to keep up streams. The support of the underground fights against that. You go to bands’ shows, you buy their merch, you mosh, you become friends with them. That’s how we keep music from being a commodity for big labels and publications. That’s the main battle bands like Wasp Mother fight.
The amount of input each member had for this record allowed for a lot of dynamic rhythms, as the band wanted to get the kids moshing again rather than having everyone who’s too good to mosh stand around the room with their PBR’s.
Wasp Mother will be taking their music to the stage in the next coming months, as they recently announced they will be playing the first annual Weed Violence Fest at Sammy’s Patio on April 20th alongside Drive By Bukkake, JudgeXJudy, E and SAC among others as well as a massive record release show with Dizeaze and Fishface at the Middle East this March.
In terms of physical media, Pete explained, “We’re gonna have some tapes out.” They have a string of other shows in February and the spring that haven’t been announced, but pay attention to their social media for further updates. Wasp Mother would like to shoutout: Grasp, Swamphead, Goblet, Last Sight, Give Up Hope, Face First, Zero Survive, Brain Famine, Self Love, Continued Without A Finding, TIH, Vomit Dolls, Impulse Control, Caroline Harrison (@awfulnuisance), Aaron Pepelis (Return To The Pit), Substantial Abuse, New Hell, BEDTIMEMAGIC, Girih, Entrail Asphyxiation, Sexless Marriage, Ziplock, and Passionplay.
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Digital Pollution is out now on all streaming platforms.
Wasp Mother on social media: Instagram | YouTube
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2024 Hardcore Releases Playlist
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