Im not crazy about this Swedish bands name, as anything reminding me of Mnemic is a bad thing, but lo and behold, what theyve created with the 11 songs on their debut, The Wind-Up, is something new. Almost. This bands number one influence is fellow Swedish group Burst, and within about a minute of opening track "Breathless that becomes very apparent. The driving tempo, jarringly melodic riffs and screamed vocals sound great but tread a little too close to Burst territory. But whats this, a sudden breakdown into weird technical jazz? Uh, yeah, thats what it is. Its tempting to call it the Dillinger part but we have to give Memfis more credit than constant comparisons, even if what theyre creating is pretty much the sum of their inspirations. Moments of originality shine through, as on the percussion-driven title track and the 70s-style break in "Forever Discounted. When these guys outgrow their influences and create something their own theyll be the next underground phenomenon. For now, damn, it sounds good but its hard to not want to go put on Burst instead.
(Candlelight)Memfis
The Wind-Up
BY Greg PrattPublished Jul 17, 2007