ALBUM REVIEW - Mnemic - 'Mnemesis'

This album made me a little nervous. Losing two founding members and one who's been in the band long enough they may as well have been a founder is often a rough ordeal and can really strip the heart of a band away. Mnemic have come back with this album since they lost those three:

So the new guys are drummer Brian Larsen, bassist Simone Bertozzi and guitarist Victor Ray Salomonsen. Vocalist Guillame Bideu (fuck knows how to pronounce that) and sole founder Mircea Gabriel Eftemie are still going, of course.

Now, the production threw me a little. It's nowhere near as crisp as their previous two discs - quite muddy and lacking in separation between the stringed instruments. The cymbals are similarly afflicted, as is the kick drum - when Brian goes off on a speedy run, there's no definition in the strokes, which is a shame - with this sort of music, you need clarity and you need everything to be discernible.

The songs, then... It took me a few listens to 'get' this disc; initially it came through as quite average, nothing really going for it. Then when I was sat at the ol' desk at work, it hit me: songs like Junkies On The Storm, I've Been You, and Mnemesis had been stuck in my head. ALL. DAMN. DAY. Mnemic have finally succeeded in creating songs that are incredibly catchy and will lodge in your brain for days on end.

At times though the progressive aspect feels a little bit forced - some sections don't really feel like they flow that well, and some of the drum parts are quite jarring in the way they change. We do, however, get a 909 kick drum sample on Ocean of Void which is kind of cool. The first six tracks on the album are a lot stronger than the last five, which taper off a little. Unfortunate.

Overall this album would rate at 7/10 - It's a good album with some catchy tunes that's let down by shoddy production and a slightly weaker second half. Nevertheless, it's worth a listen.