My Mind's Weapon - A Negation of all our Hopes EP
Self-produced EP
by Tom Strutton
No Image Available
Young Scottish upstarts My Mind's Weapon are signed to an independant label, which, judging by the numerous reviews readily viewable on the band's myspace page, has been hard at work sending this four track EP to various zines and webzines. The cd itself has been sent out to critics with bare minimum on the visual design front - merely a white cd-r with track names in coloured felt-tip pen. Disregarding the amateur look of the cd-r itself, the production value of the record is fair by EP standards. The band releases its debut album sometime in the near future, so this EP may be treated as a taste of things to expect.
With regards to a first recording, the single most important thing an aspiring band must contrive to deliver is a strong instant impression, letting the critic know that there is a gap in the market and they are here to fill it. With this in mind it is always a good idea to put the strongest and most original tracks first. The first track here is catchy but uncomfortably derivative, borrowing idioms from various popular metal sub-genres and forcing them together in a manner that screams 'you can't pigeonhole us'. Indeed, My Mind's Weapon may have created a new subgenre - 'jump-from-one-style-to-another-without-a-moment's-notice-in-order-to-avoid being-pigeonholed-metal'. The music displays a firm understanding of the primary idiomatic devices of commercial emocore and metalcore, whilst occasionaly dipping its toes into thrash, but it is unlikely to satisfy any but the most overtly sentimental of listeners. The emo vocals are, at times, cringeworthy, although they will no doubt draw a lot of fans who dig this kind of superficial emotional manipulation.
The second track begins more promisingly, but quickly encounters the same problems that plague the first. The third track is a real improvement, and to expand on a previous point, this may have been the best choice for first track on the EP. It dispenses of the Hawthorne Heights crappiness of the previous tracks choruses, replacing it with a more mature Thrice tinged venture. If there is a track that saves this EP and shows promise for things to come, this is the one (Boys, if you read this, I urge you to continue down this road) The final track is another better track, having a fair amount in common with the third. There are some truly beautiful and sensitive quiet moments, juxtaposed with respectable heavier moments. Ditch the sickening written-by a-schoolboy-lyrics and you are left with something approaching a good song. Ultimately, considering the time constraints facing promo reviewers, it may have been a better idea to rearrange the running order of the tracks here.
Given that this EP is non-commercially available, and that My Mind's Weapon release their debut album shortly, it would be fruitless for me to recommend this EP. Rather, it is my responsibility to let you know if this is a band worth keeping an eye on, or if this is another typical case of amateur musicians screaming to be singled out for success in a market that exploits the undiscriminating tastes of an easily manipulated majority. The cynic in me is compelled to the latter, but it is too early to dismiss My Mind's Weapon yet. The fate of the band may just depend on whether they have chanelled this EP's best moments into the forthcoming album to create something more considered and mature.
Official My Mind's Weapon Website
Self-produced EP
by Tom Strutton
No Image Available
Young Scottish upstarts My Mind's Weapon are signed to an independant label, which, judging by the numerous reviews readily viewable on the band's myspace page, has been hard at work sending this four track EP to various zines and webzines. The cd itself has been sent out to critics with bare minimum on the visual design front - merely a white cd-r with track names in coloured felt-tip pen. Disregarding the amateur look of the cd-r itself, the production value of the record is fair by EP standards. The band releases its debut album sometime in the near future, so this EP may be treated as a taste of things to expect.
With regards to a first recording, the single most important thing an aspiring band must contrive to deliver is a strong instant impression, letting the critic know that there is a gap in the market and they are here to fill it. With this in mind it is always a good idea to put the strongest and most original tracks first. The first track here is catchy but uncomfortably derivative, borrowing idioms from various popular metal sub-genres and forcing them together in a manner that screams 'you can't pigeonhole us'. Indeed, My Mind's Weapon may have created a new subgenre - 'jump-from-one-style-to-another-without-a-moment's-notice-in-order-to-avoid being-pigeonholed-metal'. The music displays a firm understanding of the primary idiomatic devices of commercial emocore and metalcore, whilst occasionaly dipping its toes into thrash, but it is unlikely to satisfy any but the most overtly sentimental of listeners. The emo vocals are, at times, cringeworthy, although they will no doubt draw a lot of fans who dig this kind of superficial emotional manipulation.
The second track begins more promisingly, but quickly encounters the same problems that plague the first. The third track is a real improvement, and to expand on a previous point, this may have been the best choice for first track on the EP. It dispenses of the Hawthorne Heights crappiness of the previous tracks choruses, replacing it with a more mature Thrice tinged venture. If there is a track that saves this EP and shows promise for things to come, this is the one (Boys, if you read this, I urge you to continue down this road) The final track is another better track, having a fair amount in common with the third. There are some truly beautiful and sensitive quiet moments, juxtaposed with respectable heavier moments. Ditch the sickening written-by a-schoolboy-lyrics and you are left with something approaching a good song. Ultimately, considering the time constraints facing promo reviewers, it may have been a better idea to rearrange the running order of the tracks here.
Given that this EP is non-commercially available, and that My Mind's Weapon release their debut album shortly, it would be fruitless for me to recommend this EP. Rather, it is my responsibility to let you know if this is a band worth keeping an eye on, or if this is another typical case of amateur musicians screaming to be singled out for success in a market that exploits the undiscriminating tastes of an easily manipulated majority. The cynic in me is compelled to the latter, but it is too early to dismiss My Mind's Weapon yet. The fate of the band may just depend on whether they have chanelled this EP's best moments into the forthcoming album to create something more considered and mature.
Official My Mind's Weapon Website
