Mind Control is a Progressive Death Metal band from Italy. Formed and released their debut studio album in 2014. December 1st, 2023, the band released their second studio album, Elements, with thirteen unconventional and progressive flourishing songs that would gratify fans of Dååth & Opeth.
Introduction:
Mind Control, Elements: This review will evaluate every aspect of the album, from its intricate musical composition to its production. Our analysis will provide valuable insights to help you determine if this album is worth adding to your collection.
The First Three Sins of Elements
Let’s start by discussing the first three sins of Mind Control and their Elements album.
The First Sin, The Strings/Keys: Consisting of deathened and djent riffs, with rhythms that interwove with clean chords and flashy shred soloing fillings. The Second Sin, The Vocals: Involves death growls and clean singing. The Third Sin—The Percussions: Full-throttle rhythmic battering from the drums, adding an extra layer of intensity to the powerful music.
The Fourth Sin: Overall Discussion: Death metal with more unconventional & progressive flourishes
As soon as you hit that play button, you will be greeted with the first track, Elements, which opens with a combination of drums and synth instrumentation, providing the listener with this electro-industrial/symphonic soundscape. This is followed by a shift in sound that combines melodic and aggressive instrumentation.
As we move forward with the second composition titled Rage and the subsequent eleven pieces, the listener is taken on this complex, unconventional, and progressive flourishing journey.
As you delve deeper into the music, the listener will find themselves wholly engrossed in the flawless execution of the instrumental and music/lyrical composition, which is a testament to the incredible devilmanship. The intricate interplay between different musical elements gives the music unparalleled depth, complexity, and attention to detail. Simultaneously, which feels like a backdrop, is an intricate web of diverse musical elements, including neoclassical, industrial, and jazz fusion, all working together to create a sophisticated and harmonious soundscape.
Part of the instrumentation setup is that it does not overpower the music. Even the synth work, adds an ethereal quality to the music, evoking a sense of emptiness and vastness that transports the listener to another dimension.
The vocal performance delivered by Stefania is the fruit of an art display of two distinct styles. On one end of the spectrum, she provides powerful and guttural death growls; on the other, her clean and melodious singing is captivating.
Her interplay between these contrasting styles adds depth and emotion to the performance, making it a remarkable experience.
During the sixty minutes of runtime, this musical piece is a rollercoaster ride of sound, constantly keeping the listener engaged and intrigued. It offers a unique blend of progressive and experimental death metal, sure to excite any fan who loves their death metal, progressive or experimental.
Overall, the music is a fruit of art; each of the thirteen songs is distinct and brings something fresh to the table, making this an incredibly versatile and dynamic musical experience.
The album comes to an end with the last song, Blame. We want to give a shoutout to Mind Control for letting us review their Elements album. Now, we’re going to wrap it up by talking about the final three sins and concluding the review
You’re Listening to “Elements”
PlayThe last Three Sins
Let’s discuss the last three sins, our thoughts on Mind Control and their Elements album.
The Fifth Sin, The Memorabilia: Is that for us, while enjoying the sound, music, elements, and instrumentation of Element, I found it satisfying and enjoyable to listen to.
At the same time, the most memorable part is that Stefania’s vocal prowess is exceptional, as evidenced by her ability to seamlessly transition between various vocal styles and ranges with remarkable ease. Her forbidden fruit art of growls and clean vocals is a testament to her exceptional talent and dedication to her craft.
The Sixth Sin, The Artwork:
I’m unsure about the artwork; I’m sure the concept is explained.
The Seventh Sin, Disrelish:
Nothing to disrelish within the musical spectrum of Mind Control, and their album Elements.
This concludes the Mind Control, Elements review.
Track-Listing:
- Elements
- Rage
- Flame
- Effluent
- Win
- Stor
- Ai
- Tempest
- Hurricane
- The River
- Ether
- Maelstrom
- Blame (feat. Simone Evangelista)
Mind Control is:
- Stefania Salladini – growls, screams, and clean vocals
- Massimo Boffa – guitars, programming
- Luca Nicolucci – drums
- Stefano Tatasciore – bass
