Review Summary: Industrialcore [in - DUHS - tree - uhl - kor]. noun: The result of insustrial metal band Mnemic being fronted by a man with vocals more suited for metalcore
Losing a vocalist is always hard. On top of the already difficult challenge of finding someone new to front the band, a group has to make a difficult decision regarding their future. Do they look for someone who can emulate the old vocalist perfectly so it would be as if no one was ever lost? Or is someone with new and original ideas brought in so that the band might move to unexplored territory?
With Mnemic's third release,
Passenger, the latter choice was the path they took. Michael Bögballe departed after a 2005 tour to promote
The Audio Injected Soul, Mnemic's at-the-time newest release. Tony Jelencovich of M.A.N. filled in as vocalist for a tour with Meshuggah, but parted ways with the group shortly after. Michael's permanent replacement was found shortly after. Guillaume Bideau (ex-Scarve) joined forces with Mnemic and they went to the studio to record Passenger.
Guillaume's vocals are strange when put at the head of a band like Mnemic. They seem to work perfectly with the more melodic parts of the album and at times he can sound like an even more competent singer than Michael. His screaming though.... yikes. Much like Christian Älvestam, the former vocalist of Scar Symmetry, it doesn't matter if he's screaming or growling, he tends to sound monotone and uninspired during every second. Tracks like "In The Nothingness Black", "Psykorgasm", "Meaningless", and "The Eye on Your Back" are highlights of the album, showcasing the familiarly impressive guitar riffage, destructive drumwork, heavy bass, and catchy choruses that Mnemic have thrown at us in previous releases. While the first stretch of the album is impressive and manages to sound just as intense as previous releases, things start to go stale at the halfway point. "In Control" signals the start of this stretch, right after the impressive track, "Pig***", we're hit with a nearly 8 minute long track that starts off sluggish and dull only to fade into something that sounds even more dull and repetitive. Normally any down points in the album are caused simply by the Guillaume's stale vocals, but this time every member seems to avoid trying in a move very similar to what The Fall of Troy did with F.C.P.M.S.I.T.S.G.E.P.G.E.P.G.E.P. When "Stuck Here" starts up, things begin to sound like they're going to pick up, instead you're hit with some false hope and more boredom. The same drum pattern and guitar riff are repeated for 4 minutes while additional melody is thrown in during certain parts in a failed attempt to break up the monotony.
While Passenger may at times feel like a regression from The Audio Injected Soul, it's still a solid release that still sounds just as sophisticated both lyrically and musically as previous releases despite the many downfalls and low points. It's worth checking out if you're a fan of Mnemic, or just extreme metal in general.
