MIRRORED

I'm sitting on the fence with this one.

It is undeniable to say that this band is highly original and innovative, but sometimes that comes with a hefty price, and I find it to be a lack of direction and composition. There are quite a few songs written wonderfully like the opener 'Race: In' and the follow up 'Atlas' with a mix of accessible math rock, avant-garde, densely layered electronics and danceable rhythms provided by the drums. Expect this formula to be present throughout the album, but it takes a bunch of ugly turns to being unlistenable stuff.

I find the album to be technically superior in terms of the band's sound, although this isn't guitar and keyboard wizardry like Dream Theater; they are doing some complicated stuff via rhythms and varied effects. But what I cannot understand at all is the need for vocals, which are nothing more than the sound of a bunch of mice trying to sing.

This is such an experimental album, and if you want something truly different, you have to listen to this album. With the experimentation at such a high level, it came with a price. I rate it very good, but it could have been a lot better.

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