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October 8, 2008 |
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01. Dreamstate Emergency
02. Door 2.12
03. Illuminate
04. Deathbox
05. Sane Vs. Normal
06. Jack Vegas
07. Mindsaver
08. Overdose In The Hall Of Fame
09. The Silver Drop
10. Wild Boys (DURAN DURAN cover)
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One of the greatest things about being a fan of good music is when you put that new disc into your CD player for the first time, there is always the possibility that you will be floored by what you hear - when it's totally unexpected. The first question that may come to your mind might be "Whoa, where did this come from?" This is what happened to me when I discovered MNEMIC's new album, "The Audio Injected Soul".
"The Audio Injected Soul" is one of the best sounding albums I've heard in years, which utilizes the new AM3D positional headphone technology which allows single sounds to be placed in a specific location in a three dimensional space around the listener. This is definitely not your typical stereo sound (i.e. left or right) and adds a lot to the listening experience as the sound moves all around your head! Check out the intro to "Deathbox"...it's really cool. Even without AM3D, the production job on this album is amazing. The sounds are crystal clear, tight, and are never muddled. The top end is crisp and shines while the bottom end booms; the drums crack, and the guitars cut through nicely. Tue Madsen and MNEMIC, who co-produced the album together, have obviously spent a lot of time and energy to ensure that the best possible sounds come through to the listener.
A lot of times, new 'tricks' and studio wizardry are used to cover up when the music is lacking, but that is not the case at all with "The Audio Injected Soul". The material just smokes! A great production job will enhance an album, but if the quality isn't there to begin with, no amount of studio work will mask that fact. As the old saying goes "you can paint a garbage can platinum, but it's still a garbage can."
The rather creepy intro entitled "The Audio Injection" sets the tone for the album, and then things get kicked into high gear. Lyrically, the album is dark and very descriptive. "Door 2.12" is a great track (and a great title that). It's similar to songs like IRON MAIDEN's "2 Minutes To Midnight" (what happens at midnight?) or STRAPPING YOUNG LAD's "Room 429" (what happens in Room 429?). This one really makes you ask yourself "what happens?" What happens behind "Door 2.12"? I don't think I want to know...especially with lyrics like "Do you see me? Do you see what I mean? The sun never shines behind Door 2.12. It's gotta be cold behind Door 2.12". Yikes!
The age-old battle, "Sane vs. Normal", is looked at as the lead character battles his inner demons, while "Jack Vegas" is a self-assured, almost cocky character that you probably don't want to anger. Then there's "Mindsaver", with the lyrics "Save me from my mind, I never wanted to go down like this." You can just feel the pain. This truly is fascinating and intelligent songwriting.
The album finishes off on an interesting note - a cover version of DURAN DURAN's "Wild Boys". While not really fitting in with the rest of the album content-wise, it's done well and is still an enjoyable listen. Is the song necessary? Nope. Is it fun? Oh yeah!
As for the band thenselves, all of the performances are bang on. Vocalist Michael is great with his Burton C. Bell-ish style of singing, mixing the harsh with the clean vocals in a perfect blend. Guitarists Mircea and Rune never get in each other's way, and play exactly what every single song requires. Bassist Obeast (a fitting name indeed) holds down the bottom end in grand fashion, while drummer Brylle is machine-like and precise. These musicians are very good individually, but GREAT when playingt together.
Though I strongly recommend listening to "The Audio Injected Sou" with your headphones on to best hear the AM3D technology, it is by no means mandatory. This is a great CD by a great band. MNEMIC are definitely a band to watch out for. Pick up this disc!
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