MIND OVER BODY

MINDFLOW are a Prog-Metal band out of Brazil and this is their sophomore release. I quite liked their debut but on this one they've created a dense and complex work that isn't nearly as melodic as their first album. So yeah 80 minutes of it makes it tough to digest. I've owned this for a couple of years but have kept putting off the review because I knew it would be a battle to break it down. Ambitious is an understatement I suppose when it comes to this detailed concept album.There's even two thick liner notes to wade through.

"Crossing Enemy's Line" has a great sounding intro then it gets heavier before a minute.Vocals 1 1/2 minutes in and they aren't normal. Not the most melodic music i've heard either. It does settle 9 minutes in with regular vocals then settles even more after 10 minutes with fragile vocals. It does pick back up before it ends. "Upload Spirit" opens with some intense music including the vocals. It's heavier after 3 minutes then it settles 5 minutes in with piano and intricate drumming before it kicks back in. "A Thousand Miles From You" features fragile vocals and piano to start then a beat joins in.

"Just Water,You Navigate" starts to pick up a minute in with vocals. It kicks in after 4 minutes and passionate vocals follow. "Chair Designer" hits the ground running and we get piano too.Vocals also join in then it settles back some as the tempo continues to shift. "A Gift To You" features soft vocals and piano. Some guest violin half way through. "Hellbitat" kicks in hard quickly. Spoken words as the heaviness continues before 6 minutes.Vocals are back then it settles after 7 minutes followed by piano then vocals.Violin too on this one. It kicks back in after 10 minutes. A calm ends it. "Follow Your Instinct" sounds great with that dark intensity. It does settle though before 1 1/2 minutes. Spoken words after 2 1/2 minutes then it kicks back in hard. Another calm after 9 minutes. It's heavy again after 11 minutes. I don't like when they shout out the words. "Hide And Seek" opens with piano and violin then it turns fuller quickly. A calm with vocals a minute in then it kicks back in.

This just isn't the style of Metal I enjoy. I can appreciate it certainly but it's not something I want to play.