Label: Art Gates Records
Date: January 22nd, 2021
There’s a number of strange things regarding the new EP by this Spanish sextet, so that you cannot quite point a finger into the specifics of their creation. And I’m not just speaking about the genre definition, however contradictory it may sound. Bunch of other contradictions are to be found on “Inbolution”, leaving the listener somewhat confused.
First thing that came to my attention is the language used. While Mind Driller is a Spanish band, through and through, their lyrics are written in English and German. However, if you visit their official website, it is entirely in Spanish. No, there is no option to switch the language. At least I have failed to find it.
Other thing is that I found no good reason for this EP to last over half an hour. Three “regular” tracks, followed by three remixes and three instrumental (karaoke) versions. Among these additions, there are tracks from this EP as well as some songs from previous Mind Driller records. By the way, looking at the cover you will find a reference to their previous album “Involution”. Precisely, the letter “V” is crossed with “B”, making for this EP’s title.
Speaking of the cover artwork, it is simply brilliant, no doubt about it. Especially in connotation with the music performed and themes explored on “Inbolution”.
And finally, the music itself is a mixture of many different elements. The primary industrial metal definition falls way short of accurate, though in broader sense it might offer some explanations.
To be as exact as possible, I would offer melodic, gothic, nu, industrial metal. Think of a combination of Nine Inch Nails, Lacuna Coil, Rammstein, Evanescence, In Flames (more recent material) and Linkin Park. There are a couple more names I could throw in here, but I think it would only lead to further confusion.
In general, industrial sounding metal serves as a prevalent background layer to Mind Driller’s creation. On top of it there are laden a lot of groovy “jump around” moments, sampling, scratching and all the necessities of nu metal. Rounded up with a combination of male and female voices.
Now, with such a strong as concrete musical performance, these vocals often serve as a levelling force. Of course, not when the vocalist goes for Till Lindemann approach and perfectly industrial German language. I’m thinking more about the clean male and female vocals, offering something in between the mentioned Lacuna Coil (when the two intertwine) and Evanescence (when the girl is left alone).
This is the type of contradiction I was referring to above. You get a feeling of a darkened, smoky, dusty factory floor with a pair of lovers having a fight in the midst of all this. Dressed in their finest, of course.
There’s also an occasional growling voice, but it left no big impression. At least not on me.
Another key factor in Mind Driller’s creativity is their ability to make quite catchy tunes. They are easily memorable which is very important for this type of modern sound. The songs catch the attention of the listener, offer a vast range of emotions, whilst still staying coherent and fairly homogenous despite the colorful list of influences.
The overall impression of this EP is quite positive. I could do without the instrumentals, sure, as vocals are a very important piece of Mind Driller’s sound. Remixes I can forgive. They are usual with modern metal bands and somewhat fit to the regular soundscape. As I could notice, the band is scheduled for some very big stages next year, so let us hope this serves them good and Mind Driller becomes the name to which many ears will turn.
