MENTAL HYGIENE

Slychosis is a progressive rock band hailing from Mississippi, and Mental Hygiene is their third full-length album. The band's second album, Slychedelia, received some good reviews upon its release in 2008, so fans of that one will probably also want to look into Mental Hygiene. My enjoyment is often stifled by the muddy mix and underdeveloped arrangements, but there certainly is enough worthwhile music here to make it a solid purchase for progressive rock fans.

The music here is a mix of neo-progressive rock, symphonic prog, pop/rock, and even touches of progressive metal. There are a surprising amount of distorted guitar riffs that lead me to think of harder-edged neo prog acts like Jolly or modern-IQ efforts. There are a few weak compositions here (particularly "Importance"), but most of the album is pretty strong from a compositional standpoint. Slychosis is clearly a talented group with a knack for creating memorable prog rock songs. The main problem with this album lies in the muddy production and sometimes bland arrangements. The guitars are often too prominent in the mix, the drums lack "punch", and vocals usually don't sound great either. With a more professional production, I could see Mental Hygiene being a much more enjoyable effort.

Mental Hygiene is a fairly average prog effort when all is said and done. It doesn't set out to break any boundaries, but the album is still ultimately pleasing thanks to its strong musicianship and solid compositions. If you can look past the muddy production, there's certainly some worth to be found here. 2.5 stars are deserved in this case. If Slychosis can get a professional production next time around, I have a feeling they'll cook up something truly spectacular. As for now, this one is only recommended to fans of the band.