A SOUND MIND - review added 8th December 2009
Album Review: Harmonia (2007)
For fans of: Epic Alt Rock... and moments of flawed majesty
Oh my god how good is 'So Thankful'?! No, it isn't perfect - the urgent vocals seem strangely at odds with the mellow insistence of the track - but there's something so unutterably brilliant about this song I can't get it out of my head!
Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself...
A Sound Mind hail from Melbourne, Australia. The band - Glenn Parkinson on guitar, Anthony Kupinic on vocals and keyboards, Kiran Khan on drums, and Andrew Bishop on bass - play what they describe as epic alternative rock. Harmonia was first unleashed back in 2007, but it's now getting a European release...hence us only just looking at it.
There's a big symphonic underbelly to this monster, and the main body is made of big chords, modern hooks and stand out vocals. Anthony Kupinic has an unusual tone. He's got a real youthful edge to his voice, but plenty of power too. He's somewhere between Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, a surf punk and a 10 year old choirboy. The music itself mixes the progressive extremes of Muse with soaring orchestral riffs, up-to-date chart rock and underground alt metal. The result varies between the okay and the frankly staggering.
'Medulla' is an instrumental intro. 'Empathy' is a decent enough track with an absolutely huge vibe. It's not something I want to listen to again and again, but it's hard not to be impressed by it. 'The Power To Dream' is more down to earth and considerably more memorable. Great chorus. 'Grace' has been chosen as the album's lead single in Europe. It's certainly a good track and has a nice dreamy personality, but for me there are better songs on the album.
'Fall For You' is a nice emotional entry that doesn't really lead anywhere, but I like it anyway. The mid-tempo 'Enjoying The Pain' is anonymous until the chorus, when it suddenly becomes superb. 'Comma Hiatus is, as the title suggests, an instrumental break. It leads into 'Venus & Mars', a vast song with (here's that word again) an EPIC feel that belies this band's mostly unheard-of status. 'So Thankful' is next. I'll refer you back to the first paragraph for my thoughts on this song. I would be fair to say "WOW!" though.
'Catharsis' has a good chorus but is distinctly average elsewhere. 'The Horizon' is another biggy with that mahoosive symphonic rock ambience. If I saw these guys live I wouldn't know whether to headbang or relax in an armchair with a glass of fine cognac. 'Always & Forever' is a genteel track that doesn't do much for me until right at the end when it briefly comes to life. The title track closes the album in cool style.
There is a lot of brilliant material on this album. There is also a small amount of music only a few steps above filler. On balance though, Harmonia is an essential purchase for anyone with a penchant for alt or symphonic rock purely because, when they get it right, boy do they get it right! A Sound Mind is a name to look out for in the future. If they play their cards right, I don't see anything to stop these guys becoming hugely successful.
Check out... Track 9, like you needed to ask.
Track List:
1. Medulla
2. Empathy
3. The Power To Dream
4. Grace
5. Fall For You
6. Enjoying The Pain
7. Comma Hiatus
8. Venus & Mars
9. So Thankful
10. Catharsis
11. The Horizon
12. Always & Forever
13. Harmonia
Label: 7Hard
Artist's website(s): A Sound Mind , MySpace
