The Austrian band Mind Control offers Progressive Rock contaminated by Heavy, Stoner and Psychedelic sounds, with a modern and personal twist. The new album “This Present Darkness” was released on October 31, 2024 and contains nine medium-length tracks. The album opens with a good, dark-sounding introductory track “Exordium.” With “Departed,” the band immediately plunges us into the album’s sound, characterised by a granitic Heavy sound that explores Progressive and Psychedelia. The vocals are warm and expressive and interpret the lyrics with passion, then increase in intensity when the music incorporates more Heavy elements. A guitar solo insert offers a cue in the middle section, then the vocals return and develop the theme of the piece. With a fine alternation of vocal and instrumental parts, in the second part the band accelerates in the rhythm section and offers scratching and rough Heavy Rock sounds. Distorted guitar riffs and a gritty rhythm section characterise “Calypso – Queen Of The Sea,” a solid track with a darker atmosphere. The tempo changes add value to the structure of the track, allowing the different facets that characterise the band’s personal style to be explored. The vocals are dynamic and adapt well to the various moments of the track, both in the more melodic parts and in the more gloomy ones where the band incorporates those Heavy Rock sounds in line with modern releases of the genre. The accelerations of the drumming and the deep, load-bearing bass line add incisiveness to the track, which is energetic and engaging while keeping the intensity very high. “Hidden” opens with a soft vocal and melancholic atmospheres, developing the song in a constant musical crescendo. The band showcases another facet of their sound, offering an intense track full of pathos with a vocal test of absolute value. The songwriting is emphasised as well as the band’s performing technique, skilful in conveying emotions to the listener. In the second part, an instrumental section sees the guitar take centre stage with a refined solo intervention. Deep, reflective atmospheres open “Thoughts,” with softer melodies and a warm, expressive vocal. The intensity increases as the minutes go by, incorporating more Rock elements, culminating in an instrumental section with an intense, effects-enriched guitar solo. First of two parts, “White Noise – Part I” opens with a granitic Rock sound with accelerated rhythm and very well constructed and engaging guitar riffs. The guitar is the protagonist with solo interventions between the verses sung by a more melodic vocal. The first part of the track flows nicely, linking up with the following “White Noise – Part II” with dreamy guitar arpeggios. The first section of the track is softer, and then in the second part develops Heavy Rock sounds with a guitar solo as sharp as a blade. An instrumental that evolves the central theme of the piece with the guitar as the protagonist. The album’s longest track “Treachery,” at eight minutes, opens with guitar arpeggios and then evolves into heavy stoner with Doom contaminations. Gloomy atmospheres permeate the sound, while a spoken vocal inserts itself over the guitar arpeggios. The song’s long duration allows the band to enhance both their compositional and performance technique, creating an epic sound. Very interesting is the long instrumental section in the second half, where the guitar offers solos of absolute value and the rhythm section is granitic and full of tempo changes. The vocal returns for the last verses and the track ends. Dreamy guitar arpeggios characterise the intro to “The Hunter,” the track that concludes the album, with another over seven minutes of duration. The first part is more reflective and delicate-sounding, and then increases in intensity as the track progresses, with heavy rock, dark riffs and a solid, pachydermic rhythm section. The references to new releases from the Stoner/Doom scene are evident, but proposed with the band’s personal touch, full of tempo changes and a contamination with Prog and Psychedelia. With an extended instrumental section and a musical crescendo, in the second half the band experiments with sounds and effects, offering Avant-Garde Heavy Prog passages. A band that offers a fresh, modern sound with personal traits, managing to incorporate their own style into modern heavy rock. With a good dose of Progressive and forays into Psychdelia, the band offers 9 interesting and rich tracks, enhancing their personal compositional and performing technique. Recommended listening for lovers of Heavy Prog sounds contaminated by Stoner and, to a lesser extent, Doom Rock.
Tracklist
01. Exordium (00:52)
02. Departed (06:15)
03. Calypso – Queen Of The Sea (04:17)
04. Hidden (06:19)
05. Thoughts (05:17)
06. White Noise – Part I (03:33)
07. White Noise – Part II (03:13)
08. Treachery (08:00)
09. The Hunter (07:09)
Lineup
Phil / Vocals, Drums
Jo / Lead Guitar, Vocals
Thomas / Rhythm Guitar
Robbie / Bass
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