Mindtech is such a template name for a technical progressive metal band that I’m amazed it hasn’t been used before. This band from Norway follows that template with this collection of meaty progressive songs.
For sure the production of “Elements of Warfare” is powerful and demonstrative as a progressive album should be. The trouble was that for large parts I didn’t find it exciting or touching. It lacks character. It rumbles on nicely, helped by a solid drum and guitar line, but moments of explosive ecstasy were non-existent. The attempt at expansiveness reminded me of bands like Shadow Gallery, Queensryche and Fates Warning. After a couple of mundane tracks, “Enemy Within” has a progressively power metal feel, an excellent solo and an emotional level akin to Nation Beyond, but this was always the problem – it’s so well produced that it sounds unoriginal and even bland. “No Solution” suffers from cheesiness, yet there’s a nice electronic touch which also graces parts of the following track “Lost Cause”. Instrumentally this track is fine and I can see that the aim is emotional power but instead it just floats along in its metal way. The vocals are not especially sympathetic but the real problem is that this rarely falls outside of a narrow song template. I didn’t hear much to inspire me in the lyrics either. The singer announces that they are “marching forward like a well-oiled machine” and “reaching for distant skies” on “Transparent”. It doesn’t seem worth the effort of the strain he is giving his vocal chords. It’s all very solid as usual but as a song, it lacks even the modicum of charisma. “Salvation” is a nice little interlude, to be fair, but “Sons of God” returns us to the melodic wallpaper to which we’d become accustomed. A female vocal adds an interesting and powerful touch and the riff is forceful but none of this is going to break through any walls. After another unconvincing mock prog battle “My Crusade”, this unsatisfying album ends with “Resistance”. Like “Sons of God” before it, this track reaches a new level with a female-infused chorus and electronic touches to build on the pumping riff. Finally, Mindtech stepped out of their zone to inspire us.
My main criticism of this album is that it’s more like an exercise in getting through a few progressive metal songs than in blowing us away with imagination. In fact imagination is what is lacking here. It’s not awful but I didn’t feel the warfare promised in the title. In fact it was more like listening to the weather forecast.
(5.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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