During the early 2000s, Mike Masser was part of a rock band that achieved a degree of recognition in their local scene. Following this, he continued to perform as a guitarist in various cover bands, driven by his love for the stage. After a self-admitted long hiatus, he is back on the scene, making music– and his latest single, “True Grit”, is on the table today. Keep reading for my thoughts!
As a metalhead, I cannot describe to you the rush of adrenaline I feel when a song starts out like this one does. Chugging guitars, and a thick drum kit, they’re all there. From the fifth bar, when the lead guitar does enter, the melodic base for this song is immediately established; Mike is not here to faff around, and he makes that known before he’s even uttered a word. As the song settles into a nu-industrial metal sound that would remind one of Disturbed from Ten Thousand Fists, the vocals cement that reference in my head.
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The song brings in a lot of influences that I immediately started appreciating very quickly; from A7X’s “City Of Evil”, to Megadeth’s “Symphony of Destruction”, it’s all there if you look closer. I will say, though, that having inspiration is one thing, and making a sound out of it that is distinctively your own, is another– and I’m glad to report that the latter is the case here.
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Mike’s vocals have just the perfect amount grit, to fit oh-so-perfectly into the sound; with his gruff, powerful tone standing out as a great vocal performance. You can tell that he is very within his comfort zone with these vocals, and as it turns out, that helps the tone of the song too, helping it glide smoothly, never once jarring the ears. Great work!
The production, as I alluded to earlier, is as metal as it gets– with the thump, the grit, and the power that makes the genre what it is. The guitar work, simply put, is exemplary; from the rhythm section to the leads to the solo (yes, there is one!), it stands out as very, very well-executed. The mix holds it together excellently well, and mind you, this is especially a challenge in metal because it is just so easy to mud up the sound and make it sound either muffled or make it pierce your ears. None of that happens here, and it’s a smooth listening experience, and I’m rather chuffed at that.
In conclusion, “True Grit”, by Mike Masser: a powerful, pumping metal track that is as enjoyable ten listens down, just as much as the first. My honeymoon with this song is far from over, and I expect it that way. Check out the song here!
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