Mindfailure
Artist: U.P. (Unleashed Power)
Label: Amarok Records
(available through http://www.ruggedcross.com/ )
Metal fans should eat up this blazing metal missile, with a kind
of progressive speed/death/thrash sound somewhere between early Believer
and Sacrament's Haunts of Violence. The riffing is fast and
surgical-tight, as is the incessant, often-inspired drumming (by a former
drummer for bands Mekong Delta and Rage), while most of the excellent leads
are of the sick and melancholy, back-in-the-mix type typical of the genre
(like Believer and early Living Sacrifice). The vocalist adopts a
snarling but semi-understandable style similar to many outfits of this
kind (again, halfway between Believer and Sacrament). U.P. must also have
had a decent budget for an underground band, with above-average production
and glossy 16-page liner notes.
The lyrics may frustrate listeners looking for evangelistic messages,
with no mention of Christ or entirely obvious Christian themes. The singer
and guitarist do claim faith in Christ (look for an upcoming interview),
but they choose to veil the truth in thought-provoking poetry. The
album definitely deals with spiritual issues, though, with an undercurrent
of faith and respect for notions of right and wrong. It doesn't do
them justice to quote the lyrics apart from their context, but here are
some to give you a feel, from "Thou Shalt Live":
With all the things that will discourage
can one find the power of courage
To live with contradictions
yet there will always be hope
For faith will move the mountains
inducing the strength to cope
Are you really alive
Do you really live
Can you truly fight it
Where's the will to give
refusing, resisting the fiery temptations
Most of the songs are long and sometimes divided into "parts" ("Cataclysm"
clocking in at 11:33), with the exception of the short and mellow-but-dissonant
instrumental, "Etude."
This is flawlessly-played, and should be many speed/thrash/death
fans' favorite album since Believer's last. I had some problems with
it that will keep it from warming my CD player much, however--the similarity
and repetitiveness of most of the songs, the same guitar tone throughout,
and the cold and distant nature of it all. I'm more into metal that
crosses genres these days, so this doesn't quite blow my mind like it will
for the metal purists out there.
By Josh Spencer
   
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