Maruja Review: An Incensed Pronouncement to the Noise-Rock Scene

The Underworld, Camden

“The truth, it hides.”

Trapped within the cramped confinements of Camden’s Underworld, Maruja instigate a raucous riot, pronounced with the cries of “Free Palestine” and the swelling anticipation of a newcomer on the noise-rock block.

These walls have often vibrated to the brooding, escalating basslines purged from the various heavy rock scenes over recent decades. Yet the unwavering prowess to this upcoming noise-rock band seldom falters, galvanising the crowd as ‘The Invisible Man’ taken from their sophomore EP rings out. Frontman Harry Wilkinson acts as tonight’s great narrator and commander-in-chief (“Let me tell you the story...”) against the jostling saxophone, drums and bass accompanied on-stage - an imminent likeness to the recent likes of Black Midi or Black Country, New Road. Igniting a frenzied dystopia to that of Joy Division along with the explosive friction pertaining to Daughters or Swans, Maruja extend an enticing invitation to this brewing cauldron.

The further Maruja surge through their latest material, the more this cauldron spills over. Wailing sax lines, abrasive blast beats and atmospheric guitar licks churn impressively well together amidst ‘One Hand Behind the Devil’, spotlighting the battle cry-poetry to this incensed crowd (“The red thick as blood as they hunt for more power / Contortions so wicked the mighty devour”). ‘Zeitgeist’ hurls cries against the capitalist state and monetary greed with cold-blooded conviction (“The money speaks so loud / It's drowning out the voice of men”), harking back to the familiar sounds of Rage Against The Machine or Converge, as the brooding basslines and crashing drums dance in tandem against the superfluous sax solos which remain incessant throughout.

Yet it’s Matt Buonaccorsi's basslines cast from the sidelines which evidently breathe life into Maruja’s conjured beast. Vying for attention against the frenetic instruments accompanied, Buonaccorsi subtly churns and whirrs in the backdrop, remaining the real heartbeat birthing tonight’s energised audience. Akin to the unsung bassist heroes of yesteryear (Tina Weymouth, Christopher Pravdica, Kim Gordon) Buonaccorsi similarly bolsters each and every track performed; dating back to the group’s earlier material (‘Rage’, ‘Thunder’) which uplift the voracious noise-rock, grungified dystopia of the former and the cataclysmic clamouring of the latter.

As the evening's conclusion draws closer and the music softens, the crowd visibly unstick from one another - enmeshed and embroiled for the past hour. The slower pace and gentle ushering of 'Resistance Resistance' proves somewhat dampening to an unrelenting evening, yet little can be taken away from such an unapologetically visceral band paving their breadth of sounds throughout the U.K. Retaining an effortless cohesion swarmed by jazz-punk chaos inflected by Joe Carroll's unwieldy saxophone and Jacob Hayes' unruly drumming, the crowd will undoubtedly remember tonight's show from one of the most enticing noise-rock bands of late - one determined to support worldwide struggles, uncover truths and galvanise the current zeitgeist.

8/10

Maruja's latest EP, Connla's Well, is out now and can be found below.

Photo is courtesy of Cal Moores whose work can be found here.