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Mentalist: A Journey Into The Unknown

Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal

4.5/5.0

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Pride & Joy Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 04.08.2021 | Released: 20.08.2021

Almost a year to the date, Mentalist dropped their debut album Freedom Of Speech on the Pride & Joy Music label. Formed in 2018 by veterans of both the German and Swedish metal underground, and featuring original Blind Guardian drummer Thomen Stauch, the album found fortune with fans of traditional heavy metal. Now the band delivers their follow-up album, A Journey Into The Unknown which features some fine guest musicians including Mike LePond, Henning Basse, and Kamelot keyboard player Oliver Palotai making a return appearance.

Mentalist

Essentially, A Journey Into The Unknown picks up where the debut album left off. Once again, Mentalist wears their influences on their sleeves delivering melodic power metal referencing Iron Maiden to Blind Guardian, Helloween to Edguy. The strongest element is the twin guitar harmony and leads from founding members and guitarists Peter Moog and Kai Stringer. Mentalist offers very guitar-forward heavy metal, with no apologies. Yet these things are still wrapped up in song melody and harmony, clean vocal arrangements, some notable rock groove, and speed. The fast majority of songs are simply fast and heavy power metal such as Dentalist, A Journey Into The Unknown, or Battle Dressed. Mentalist will throw a few curves with lighter acoustic and electric guitar parts as within Modern Philosophy or Soldier Without A War, but things will get heavy and ambitious rather quickly in each song. Then Mentalist takes a turn with a longer Maiden-like epic metal romp, Live Forever, which may be bordering on progressive power metal. For something completely different, read: weird, Mentalist does a heavy metal cover of Swedish pop rapper Neneh Cherry's Manchild. Okay then. Nevertheless, Mentalist's A Journey Into The Unknown once more offers fans a solid platter of twin-guitar driven melodic power metal. Good stuff. Recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Mentalist's A Journey Into The Unknown once more offers fans a solid platter of twin-guitar driven melodic power metal. Good stuff. Recommended.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]

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