Released By : Dirty & Weird Music
Genre : Alternative, Industrial Metal
Links : http://www.mephisto-system.com/
Tracklist:
01. No Looking Back
02. Suck Inside
03. Is It Hate
04. Possessive Greed
05. Is This The Way
06. On And On
07. Broken Part
08. Good Old Pride
09. Black Dead Haze
10. Take A Pill
11. Waiting To Steal The Time
12. Who He Was Part 1
13. Who He Was Part 2
14. Inside Out
15. I Was Here
16. Right Way
17. New Era
Unfortunately I fear that now isn’t really the right time for the new album from Dutch industrial metallers MEPHISTOSYSTEM, which is a real shame because it’s actually pretty good. See, the band play a style of industrial metal that also draws influence from alternative rock music which creates a sound that is very similar to NINE INCH NAILS, but also has some slight leanings towards bands like TOOL and even MARYLIN MANSON. Ten years ago or so, this album may well have had a chance of some global appeal, but the fact is that most of the world has sort of moved past this kind of music now and onto other things.
Vocalist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer Abele Franze definitely has a bit of a Trent Reznor thing going on here, but it’s when he attempts the slower almost spoken passages that his strong accent makes me feel a little uncomfortable. This is an unfortunate fact because I know this is something that will affect a lot of people’s judgment and the truth is if these guys were American they may well have had a pretty decent chance of breaking out. Musically there is still a fair bit going on, but its electronic soundscapes and the programmed drums that fill most of the mix, this seems to work well for the band and it would be perfect music for movie soundtracks and action video game soundtracks.
The decision to include seventeen songs is an interesting one in this day and age, and while you might initially think that this many tunes is good value for money, it actually causes the alum to go for a bit too long and because a lot of the music within is very samey, toward the end of the album it really does start to drag on a bit.
I would have preferred if the band had of been able to cull the numbers down to around a maximum of twelve and if they did that they could remove a few of the more similar tracks and end up with a short, punchy album that stays fresh all the way through. My favorite two tracks off the album both come pretty early with SUCK INSIDE and POSSESSIVE GREED, both which really sound like NINE INCH NAILS but both are also a little bit more accessible that a lot of Trent Reznor’s material.
I do think that MEPHISTOSYSTEM are onto something here as there really is a lack of good industrial bands these days, but they still have a little bit of work to do before they can gain some global recognition. CONSTRUCTION SITE puts them on the right track and if their next album is a little bit shorter and a little more varied then I will be very impressed.
Written By ZeeZee
Rating : 6/10
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