Mindbender

It's been nearly four years of compilation tracks and guest appearances for Mindbender since his last album, Supreme Being Unit's Mental Reverse/Spiritual Rebirth, recorded with Conspiracy, his brother in rhyme as well as in blood. Fans have been patiently awaiting something new from the SBU camp and Mindbender is the first to comply with In Another Universe, his debut solo EP. All six tracks, from the faux drum & bass with reggae chants of "Babylon Will Fall" to the hard hitting "Higher Than Ever" are paradoxically dark yet catchy, thanks to production from Doro, who favours heavy drums and atmospheric instrumentation. The nearly constant twists and turns throughout the music enables the nimble Mindbender to initiate his own twists and turns vocally. While Mindbender has slowed his flow down since Mental Reverse/Spiritual Rebirth, he has yet to lose his dynamic voice that fluctuates from whispers to angry growls, often within the same breath. And as anyone may gather from his name, it still takes more than a single listen to decipher the meaning behind Mindbender's lyrics. The conspiracy theories that were central to the SBU album are made subtler, masked by lyrics intent on demonstrating Mindbender's verbal and intellectual skills. Picking a favourite track from these six songs is a difficult task, with each song deserving the recognition at the moment of play. At only six songs in less than 25 minutes, In Another Universe is much too short for someone who hasn't released much substantial material in four years. And this self-released album has fairly limited distribution at the moment and may be difficult to find, but worth it!