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By RYAN MAVITY
The Wind Up by Memfis may be the most American album to ever come from Sweden, bearing a heavy influence from new American metal bands like Shadows Fall and especially Mastodon. While most Scandinavian metal is either power metal, death metal or black metal, Memfis represents a change, bringing elements of all three, along with a progressive influence.
While Memfis may not be as good as Mastodon yet, The Wind Up shows they are more than capable of being included in that company. Unlike their American counterparts, Memfis doesn’t indulge in goofy jazz riffs or lyrics about Sasquatch. Instead, they are more focused on straight-up headbanging, unleashing a mix of sledgehammer riffs (like in “The Judgement”) or just giving people a good, old-fashioned thrash metal mashup (the title track). Some of the slow acoustic and ambient guitar sections (“Cover It Up”) are reminiscent of doom metal. The twin sided “Dead Ends” and “The Game” echoe Alice in Chains with a death metal bent.
There aren’t many weaknesses here, save for “Stop the Waves,” the one track that feels tacked on. The band picks it back up again with the excellent headbanger “Save the Day” before ending with the experimental “Breed the Disorder.”
Although they are from Scandinavia, Memfis fits right in with the new American metal style with its mixture of progressive influences and heavy riffing. This style is not easy to define, but it has led to an influx of well-thought, well-produced yet heavy records. That sound has now spread across the pond and Memfis is one of the first results. Looks like we Yanks can finally add something else to our list of accomplishments: Uncle Sam, new American metal, David Hasselhoff and the missionary position. You’re welcome, world.
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