HAUNTING REGRETS

An epic metal guitar trip full of speed, musicianship and guts.

Any prog metal follower will agree on that. GLASS MIND's, 2011, "Haunting Regrets" works on all the rightful ways to be featured in this PA's metal division. The style's protocols are all well covered, metal ballads included, swirling hyper fast guitar soloings, furious vocals, as also "in love" lyrics, deep bottom melodic basses and an spectacular drumming by Edgar Garduño.

Now, the ugly truth. Music composition wise this band seems as in some place between becoming one hell of a performing one and finding their own personal musical idiom or to put it simply life after music school diplomas, teachings and follower's adulations (or playing by the book).

Fast as hell, as guitar players can play, your music compositions will be what listeners will remember at the end of the day, so you better deliver some super charged memorable riffs, if not the guy that comes next will steal your thunder.

These guys' masterful performances certainly put them in an upper level performance category, yet "best is the enemy of the good", and in this prog metal world if something is not really missing is ultra fast musicians, what is really needed is someone to really push it beyond its comfortable composition's protocols up to now.

Anyway and by the way, ***3 PA stars, with great expectations for a future and far more daring release.

This is the first and so far latest full-length album by Mexican prog metal band Glass Mind, a quartet of truly gifted musicians who know how to take their instruments to the best level, at the point that the same Mike Portnoy looked at them and invited them to perform in the renowned Progressive Nation at Sea festival, something I always repeat because as Mexican, I must (and love) support talented bands from my country, because that is my job as a reviewer.

The name of their debut album is Haunting Regrets, released in 2011, an album that features 9 compositions that make a total time of 52 minutes. Here we can appreciate the quartet's great skills as musicians, but also a fifth additional element who helped with the vocals. Some countrymen say that nowadays is a good singer what Glass Mind needs in order to gain more exposure, but some others think their current instrumental lineup does not need a voice. But well, this album opens with "Utopian Feeling", which works as a short introductory track that does not actually reflects the band's music. The true Glass Mind's sound appears on the next track, "Haunting Regrets" and I won't lie to you, because it is a double edged knife, I mean, in one hand we will listen to top notch prog metal that could be compared to the big names, but in the other hand, the music is sooo alike to those big names, so you either would love and receive them as a new interesting band, or reject them because they sound like the same you have previously discovered. I am not that keen on metal, so I choose the latter, I prefer to enjoy what they do no matter if the sound reminds me of other bands.

"Fallin Apart" starts all of a sudden and let us know that the musicians are really gifted, man, their technique is wonderful, they could be considered as virtuosos on their instruments, and I mean all of them because though the Berthier's guitars might be the first elements that catch your attention, Garduño's drumming is simply outstanding as wel as Villamor on bass. Of course, the work of Dante Díaz on the vocals is also wonderful, but I repeat, nowadays Glass Mind has focused on the instrumental side of prog metal. "Ypur Name is Silence" is the longest track, over ten minutes of powerful and fast progressive metal at its best. The first minute is a piano introduction, but then the strings and drums join and together start building up an interesting structure in which both, instrumental and vocal passages are truly enjoyable. The song is a great composition, challenging, in the pure style of prog metal but without bombastic keyboard moments.

"Crepusculus Vehementis" continues with the same style, you know, fast and virtuoso moments in which the band let us know their skills. The composition is pretty cool, and better because this time the keyboards have more presence, which is positive to me. Though I have said this is prog metal, the music Glass Mind offers might appeal to any metal fan, not only the prog ones. This instrumental track is one of my favorites from this album and I must say, the drummer's work is impressive! "I'm Still There" is a much softer track, melodic and catchier, not a ballad, but quite different from the previous ones. This might be that radio friendly metal track.

In "Survive" the power and speed return, and though there are some softer moments, mainly when the vocal appears, the song implements virtuosity through the minutes. He problem I constantly have while listening to metal albums, is that there are moments in which I feel a bit bored, and I cannot deny it happens to me with this one, but believe me, it is not personal with this band, but this is my regular attitude towards this genre. "That Weird Feeling" is a short track that contrasts with the others, because this is a soft acoustic guitar driven song, nothing more. And last we return to the power and fast sound with "Beyond Our Souls" which nicely closes the album, a track that sums up what Glass Mind offers here.

I am happy with this band, they are Mexican and am proud of it, however I cannot deny their style (at least the one shown in this debut LP) is not my favorite. But well, the album can be listened and downloaded at their bandcamp site, so please people go and enjoy it. I am now looking forward to their upcoming studio album, which I believe I will enjoy much more. My final grade, 3 stars. Enjoy it!