Mnemic – Sons Of The System
Being one of my all time favorite bands, Mnemic’s newest creation Sons Of The System was a no-brainer for me to gravitate to. In my mind, Mechanical Spin Phenomena and The Audio Injected Soul were two of the best albums ever to be pressed onto little pieces of plastic. But after original vocalist Michael Bögballe (now in Smaxone) left the band and was replaced by journeyman Tony Jelencovich (B-Thong, Transport League, C-187, M.A.N, Icon In Me) for what turned out to be a blink of the eye, he was then permanently replaced by Guillaume Bideau (Scarve). 2007′s Passenger marked the first album with Bideau at the helm and let me just say, I wasn’t too impressed. To me, Bideau didn’t seem comfortable, and the band’s songwriting chops took a major hit because of it. Now Mnemic are back with Sons Of The System and I’m interested to see if he can break the curse of the “sophomore slump.”
The title track opens the album with that much needed kick to the throat. Raging guitar licks careen off blasting double bass and monster grooves. Immediately I noticed that Bideau has tightened his vocals up enormously. With Passenger, he sounded like a fish out of water and completely out of sorts. With this album, he seems to have found his range and has nestled in quite nicely to the enormous sound that Mnemic brings to the table. The off-time choruses are big and meaty, while Bideau’s vocals soar like an eagle taking flight.
Tracks like “Mnightmare” and “The Erasing” sound like they could have been b-sides off of The Audio Injected Soul. One thing that has always drawn me to Mnemic was the incredible off-time grooves they create. From the opening riffs of “Mnightmare,” you are sucked in and totally devoured by this cyber-genetic monster. The choruses are open and full, allowing the listener to take a breath just to be pummeled again once they are over. “The Erasing” is a beast of its own sort. The verses are a wall of messy distorted guitars that eventually open up to very singable choruses with an unforgettable hook.
I have to mention my favorite songs on the album, which are “Climbing Toward Stars” and “Within.” The HUGE opening grooves on both songs sound like Korn on every steroid known to man. To say that the bounce is enormous honestly doesn’t do it justice. Bideau’s vocals are like a caged animal ready to devour his enemy – definitely lethal. “Within’s” chorus is incredibly hypnotic; you’ll find yourself humming it at times during the day. Another thing Mnemic have is the ability to add just the right keyboard “spice” to every track. They never water down or over-do the electronics, which is a major plus in my book. You better have paramedics ready when these tracks are played live because the body count could get high.
“Orbiting” ends the album on a total high note. The gigantic off-time grooves mangle you like a drill press to the cranium, while the vocals are focused and menacing. Once again, Mnemic add the perfect amount of electronic ambiance to the fold to create a very atmospheric music experience. Awesome song to end the album with.
Like I said before, after listening to Passenger I really wasn’t sure where this band was headed or what they were trying to accomplish. Now I see that that album was a mere transition to what we have today in Sons Of The System. Listening to this album will take your breath away, and keep you on the edge of your seat anticipating what’s next.
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15 Comments
January 26th, 2010 at 1:28 am
Man, these guys are BRUTAL! I LOVE IT!
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January 26th, 2010 at 4:07 am
Great review! I couldn't agree with you more!
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January 26th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Brutal? Mnemic? Really? Come on…
I mean I like the band and all, but brutal, please.
The review was ok with some nice depictions. A bit too fanboy-flavoured, though.
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January 26th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
That's cool, too each is own…I wouldn't say I'm a fanboy at all…Passenger was totally HORRID! But hey, give credit where credit is due…they made a solid album from front to back and they deserve the attention for it.
They have brutal elements, absolutely…just because they aren't blast beating or death growls…brutality can come in groove form.
Thanks for the taking the time to comment….very cool.
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January 27th, 2010 at 6:01 am
Ah, my comment may have been a tad belligerent, but good that you were able to read beyond that.:)
So, you didn't think that the album was overly self-repetitive. I mean nearly all of the songs are structurally alike, and with a groove-oriented band that seems really odd to me. Of course there are great songs in the album and many more great moments imo, but I thought it lacked variety.
Brutality is, as you mentioned, subjective and it can come in many forms. I just thought that the use of clean vocals, or perhaps over-use, ruined the extremely potential heavy moments and, thus, undermining the overall impression the album gave to me.
Cheers!
Oh, and, to say that Passenger was horrid in an understatement.:)
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January 27th, 2010 at 7:25 am
Ha Ha Ha its all good man! I can see by your writing that you have a passion for music as well and THAT is what its all about.
Honestly, I didn't think Sons Of The System was too repetitive at all. I found the album a "return to form" for Mnemic. After what was a TOTAL disaster in Passenger, I felt like the guys made a conscience decision to head back to the roots of the Mnemic sound.
As far as the over-use of clean vocals, I feel like vocally the band just wanted to add more dynamics, more range…and for me (at least) it worked.
Now listen, if the next album, dude comes out singing the majority of the album..THEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM! Ha Ha!
I love a ton bands that have nothing but low end gutteral vocals, but, with that being said…its always nice to have a band (like Mnemic) that add some variety to the mix.
In the end, its all about variety and what does it for that person.
Thanks again and Hope to talk to you soon
Feel free to comment as much as you like…..
Later bro
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January 31st, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Looking forward to getting this.
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February 1st, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Yea, you gotta grab this one….cause its hoooooooot! LOL
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May 15th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
"You better have paramedics ready when these tracks are played live because the body count could get high."
I am still laughing. Wonderful.
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May 28th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Quite possibly one of the worst albums of 2010.
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May 28th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
so faust666,
So Im taking it that you really didnt get into too much…..! LOL!
Hey, that is what makes the world go round…if everyone liked the same things…it would make for a boring world we live in.
Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend.
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May 29th, 2010 at 1:25 am
@ Lee
Yeah I think it's safe to say I didn't like the album.. LOL!!
I was grossly disappointed with this one. In fact I damn near stopped spinning it halfway through.
I liked a few tracks on Passenger like "Meaningless".. I guess I won't bother with this band any more.
Glad you enjoyed the record. Cheers.
ps: I stumbled upon this site a coupla days ago.. Very interesting.. I found myself disagreeing with several reviews but at least it gave me something to read and also gave me an update on upcoming releases. Keep up the the good work folks !!
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September 29th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Yes! These are the words, I would say! Exactly how I feel about the album. Even the same feeling about Climbing Towards Stars!!! Wonderful!
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December 12th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Finally just checked out this album…
… JFC. To me, once again, it's just nostalgic because I used to listen to a lot of Mudvayne and I'm drawing comparisons from everywhere, but these guys are way more groove influenced and, frankly, have a much better sound.
But still, I dig this album so far.
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Lee Rochester replied:
December 12th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Awesome! Mnemic are an amazing band. Do yourself a favor and check out their earlier stuff as well. Sick, sick stuff.
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