'Acute Mind' is a Polish formation which had released a first eponymous album of the group in 2010, then nothing at all until this new opus 'Under The Empty Sky' released in early July 2020. Tagged in progressive metal, they have a style approaching one of my favorite groups, 'Threshold' which, although tagged metal, for me, mixes rock and progressive metal which is also the same case for the Poles.
'Shine Of Your Soul' begins the album with an energetic first part and with an unbridled rhythm that alternates with calmer passages then, the second part has a remarkable instrumental section leading to the end, first sung, then ending with a beautiful guitar solo. With 'Clouded Eyes' we are closer to the progressive rock of a group like 'Arena', the guitar riffs being always present but without any aggressiveness and with melodic lines that are tamed very easily. It is with the introduction 'Daddy' that we return to the power of metal but always with these magnificent alternations between tension and relaxation, the small interlude with recordings of vocals leading to a very beautiful 'Floydienne' section, the continuation returning to the original theme and it is in this kind of title that the parallel with 'Threshold' is most appropriate. Without transition, 'Hope from the Heart' there is no longer any question of progressive metal because it is a remarkable ballad in the style of 'RPWL' which rises in crescendo in the second part to start, then the eponymous title of the album, quite short but very catchy, is more direct and unfolds beautiful melodic lines. It's yet another complete change of mood with 'It's Not Me', a composition that begins as a ballad with very beautiful orchestral arrangements of 'Michal Mierzejewski' and with a chorus that never let you go, and the second part, entirely instrumental , accelerates the rhythm and gives us a very nice guitar solo. We come back to a more classic style with 'I Need You' which moves away from the progressive and flirts with quiet pop, then, the rest of the album hardens again with first of all 'The Same Again' in a powerful progressive metal which can recall the style of the new supergroup 'Suns Of Apollo', then 'Kingdom' which tends towards an energetic industrial metal while keeping accessible melodic lines.
In summary, the Poles of Acute Mind 'are back on the front of the stage with a varied progressive album, alternating different styles that destines 'Under The Empty Sky' to a public loving formations like 'Threshold', 'Dream Theater' for the metal side or even 'Arena' for the rock side... | |
