“Fungal Mass,” the first track off Psychedelic Poison and named after the band itself, acts as something of a manifesto. Along with the use of second-person throughout the song, the lyrics further welcome the listener to continue their aural adventure with the group, who describe themselves as “an American Thrash Metal band originating from the small town of Wilton, Iowa.” The track present us with the closing lyrics, “Fungal Mass we hold the secret / Take our hand and we will keep it.”
My immediate first impression, from the vocals to the guitar to the drums, was early mid-2000s “post-thrash.” Its obvious groove elements totally reinforced this to me, and funnily enough, as I scrolled down their Bandcamp, their first tag is “Groove Metal.”
In no particular order, Fungal Mass is for fans of: Lamb of God, Sepultura, Municipal Waste and, dare I say, Reinventing the Steel-era Pantera. For those fans, you absolutely won’t be disappointed. It’s a fun listen and maybe for those old enough, you’ll get a hint of nostalgia. Which says something, as the trio (Keagan Stoelk, with brothers Gage Hagen and Lief Clevenger) seem to be about the same age as the projects that inspired them.
As far as audience engagement goes, even beyond their first song, I personally found them worth entertaining a further listen based on their use of syncopation. This is specifically apparent in their choruses. Syncopation, for me, makes the track far more interesting than hearing a steady rhythm of one-two-three-four over and over again. The start-and-stop syncopation on track “Bullet,” for example, does this quite well.
Also of note, and personally my favorite element of the album, is the production value. Everything from the resonance of the snare drum to a hit on the bell of a cymbal is incredibly well balanced and easily heard. There is no part of the mix that overwhelms the listener. My only complaint is that I would have loved to hear a little more bass in the mix. (As an aside, while a bit on the nose, the sound of a magazine being loaded at the beginning of “Magazine” is a nice touch.)
Lyrically, they’re fairly typical of the genre. While it’s well written enough, don’t expect florid prose. Do expect the occasional “fuck you” for added aughts authenticity. Incidentally, the strongest lyrics appear in the opener, but that’s for you, the listener, to decide.
Something that did particularly stand out: we don’t get an actual guitar solo until the final track, “Junkyard.” If that’s something you expect in your thrash and groove (à la Dimebag Darrell) this album is quite lacking. The guitar solo is great; it would have been neat to hear a few more.
While groove metal has never been my genre, I’d still say this is a solid offering. The production value alone is a true highlight and the band does what they do well.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s September 2025 issue.
