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By JEFF MAKI
Thanks to Mel Gibson, anytime an American hears Scotland mentioned, we immediately think of Braveheart and the damn good film that it is. Now a five-piece band from Glasgow, Scotland, wants fans of metalcore to think Mendeed.
Mendeed play an interesting, though not always remarkable mix of speed metal and metalcore. The Dead Live by Love's main setback is in the vocal department. The harsh vocals are more of an imitation scream. The album is full of clean, melodic choruses and vocalist Dave Proctor often sounds like Jared Leto of 30 Seconds To Mars. The album may have turned out better with all clean vocals. Go figure.
“The Fight” is a hyper-speed metalcore anthem with an energizing, catchy chorus. The title track resembles Soilwork with its tone and vocal style. The lead guitar melody stands out here and this is the strongest track of the release. The Iron Maiden guitar harmonies are also present, along with Swedish metal nuances that have become all too familiar in the last few years. Lead guitarist Steven Nixon is a skilled player. Just check out the classic shredding in “Fuel the Fire.” “Gravedigger” contains a Sepultura-like, chugging riff before exploding into a Trivium-inspired frenzy. “Our War” almost sounds like metalized punk-rock, which is a strong combination. “Blood Brothers” packs a mid-section of raw death metal and is a nice treat.
Saying that Mendeed plays fast may be an understatement. I don't remember hearing a band capable of being so melodic and containing this many hooks at this speed. The vocals take some getting used to, as something more guttural usually accompanies this kind of music. More songs like “The Dead Live by Love” and “Our War” and we're talking breakthrough. The album begins rather weak, is solid as fuck in the middle, then sinks like a brick again towards the end. By around song 10, “Take Me As I Am,” Mendeed's clean vocal choruses become too predictable. The album would have been stronger if it had ended right here. Still, for being a fairly new band this is a quality record. |
