Myndkill
Disenchantment
6.4
The theme of this band seems to be "try to create at least one element per song that makes it suck". Otherwise this is another band with a good core. Songwriting and performance are all above average and occasionally great. The problem, again as far too often, is in the use of vocalists and keys. I like heavy metal goddamnit, not easy listening contemporary lilith fair bullshit, so the female vocalist, while certainly a very good singsongy, wispy voiced singer, belongs someplace else. Whatever the fanbase for this stuff is thinking, I can't imagine, and I don't care. For the general heavy music fan the vocals add an unwelcome sense of weakness and trepidation. If I want that I can find it elsewhere.
And the keys will also sometimes scrape their nails on the chalkboard of heaviness. They would sound perfect in a Pink Floyd cover band, but they simply sound cheesy and flaccid here. Now the rest of the band is doing the powertrad bit about perfectly. Not breaking any rules or pushing limits, they are at least a solid group with a decent understanding of heavy music. They sound like they were recorded in a long steel tunnel, but I think that was the point: get artificial ambience to reign them back so the vocalist doesn't sound entirely incongruous. Or maybe they just went apeshit with the effects buttons. It sounds like you are standing outside the hall waiting for the headliner to start before going in.
The songwriting is solid stuff, and while it's not inspiring or moving enough to get a real high score, it's a high point for the album. The band keeps it simple and works at making the vocalist and the group a unit in theory if not execution. Obviously when the band quiets down and goes power ballad, they are more successful, even if it's sort of the antithesis of what I listen to this stuff for. It's not good heavy metal, but it's much better Myndkill, whatever that means.
The bottom line is that the audience for lilting female vocals in heavy music is getting a good heavy band with their singer, and fans of powertrad are getting some decent songs and a good core band. People not in the above categories can and should find better ways to get their heavy fix.
