MTF

by Simona Thrussell | Rated 9 out of 10
Another very good release that landed recently in my mailbox is this CD from the Seattle based band M.T.F. before you jump from your chair- please note : THIS is not a grunge band, Steel and Fire does not deal in commercial shit. This is a good heavy/speed band in the root of Pantera and Old Metallica, and it brings honour to the place it came from, as this is indeed ONE BAD ASS CD. This band has what it takes to make good metal, and there is no doubt in my head that they can make it on the big stages, and the fact they just landed themselves a nice contract proves I am right. Now, there have been a lot of trends in the metal of the past 15 years, and most of them have been dreadful- see grunge and NU metal, but I am happy to say that thsi band sounds like in the good old days of the eighties- it's strong, it's fast, it's furious, it has strong riffs , a good vocal line and a drummer than smashes. Add to the concuction some serious musical experience- these guys are no rookies , and you can see that from the sound of this CD, which proves without doubt that these guys are accomplished musicians, and I would not be surprised to hear that they have been around the block for a while now, at least they sound like it! The quality of the music is one of the highest I have heard this year, and considering that the band has produced it themselves, it deserves even higher appreciation.

I am looking forward to seeing these guys here in Europe, as they are a band worth listening to. The voice of Rob maeder reminds me of a quite early Tom Araya- and I am saying that with all due respect. The band has a serious set of good skilled musicians, together with a pretty good vocal line and an obvious taste for good metal, and definitely worth listening! - Steel & Fire Webzine

July 27 - Aug 2, 2001 | by Thomas Marchese
Sifting through the CDs and press kits that we had in front of us for this local CD review issue, it was not easy deciding what to leave out. This is a record that was initially left out, but we decided to throw it in at the last minute because this is just a good sounding record and it deserves some mention. If you are into heavy stuff (ala Testament) you will really dig this CD. It is stacked full of super heavy guitars and pounding riff driven tunes. The drum tracks are very technically impressive, with a real crisp, snappy Pantera sound. The guitar harmonies have a bit of a late 80's thing going on, but the record sounds pretty fresh. The vocals, (kinda singing, kinda screaming) are very powerful and they are recorded unbelievably well for an independent record. For that matter, every bit of this CD sounds awesome. The tonal dynamics are very well defined, which is not common among heavy independent recordings. It appears that this one is as independent as they come, having been recorded at M.T.F studios and mixed and mastered by the band or members thereof. You would never know. The CD has a very full, polished sound. I honestly don't know where you can pick it up, but you can reach the band at mtfmusic@hotmail.com and you can check them out at mtfmusic.com. - Rock Paper Scissors

Nov. - Jan 2001 | by Jay Matthews
Metal sells, but who's buying? This is some heavy fucking metal in the Pantera/Slayer/Metallica vein. Yeah, you (and we) have heard it before, but this local band is very good at it, although it's more speedy than "heavy." Not sure if this musical style is past its pull date, but you could easily say the same about a million garage/punk/glam/hardcore bands right now, so it ain't fair to pick on good ol' HM. Assuming the good stuff rises to the top, I'd give MTF as good a chance as any.
- Backfire

The Brutal Truth | by Dickie Dallas | June 2001
All their songs are good. Four and a half stars out of five!!!
Regardless of the type of metal you listen to or even type of music, I think MTF is a friend for all seasons. They have really developed together as musicians and songwriters. At times they are melodic and other times they are very heavy and groovy. As weird as this may seem they remind me of an inter-marital affair between Megadeth and Carcass. Excellent everything! The vocals are very emotional and driven, the guitars totally compliment each other and the riffs are very strong. The guitars and bass sound so good together it's almost too good to be true. The drums have to be some of the best around. This is one band that really has its shit together musically and technically. From what I understand this band records itself in its practice space. Amazing! All the members seem to really put in 110% to this band. This bands rocks both live and on CD. The only constructive criticism I can hand out is that a few of the songs have similar intros and I wouldn't say this is bad, but I hope we don't see a trend of all the rocking songs to come, sounding the same. This is the perfect band to go see if you're on your heavy metal date. Don't get cocky guys, but I think you've already reached rock star status, a little premature maybe but it is inevitable. Keep it going, we don't mind. - Seattle Metal Online