Mental "Get an Oxygen Tank" CD
[Bridge Nine]
Fuck yeah, here's some raging hardcore with a really unique vocal sound that I'm not sure how to describe. It's really just straight yelling, but the vocals really don't sound like any other band I've heard before, and for straight up hardcore that's a really rare trait, and here it makes a hell of a difference. The music is hardcore through and through with a good mix of tempos and a light punk influence here and there, rarely skirting around the edges of some melody, and generally kept within two-minute timeframes. The tracks from their "And You Know This" 7" are added on as a bonus, and they close with a great cover of "Searchin' for the Light" by the rocked out Supertouch. I don't mind the recording quality at all. It's rough around the edges and in some ways has a dated sort of late-80's/early-90's ring to it, and that's cool in my book. The mix is even and there's no real separation between any of the elements, so it works out. The 7" tracks are slightly thinner and give the bass more room (barely), but it's cool. The only thing about the 7" material that's weaker is that the vocals aren't as clear, so you don't get as much of a feel for how interesting they sound. The layout's cool, all of the text is handwritten, and the booklet folds out into a four-panel deal with the actual artwork taking up the entire front side of the insert. The lyrics are fucking great because they've got a sense of humor, which is so damn rare these days. "To all the shit talkers, get a load of this, We're fuckin' Mental, don't try and dis! If you think this is dumb, we're just getting' started, We're fuckin' Mental, we might be retarded!" They're not rewriting the hardcore handbook, but it's hard to knock out a sound that's your own anymore, and I think they've succeeded in doing that, which is awesome. I'll be damn curious to hear what they do next. (7/10)
Running time - 23:01, Tracks: 16
[Notable tracks: History 101, Break a Sweat, Chiller Than Most, Bounce Back, Fuck This, Searchin' for the Light]
Bridge Nine Records - http://www.bridge9.com

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