Mastermind - Insomnia

Year of Release: 2010
Label: Lion Music
Catalog Number: LMC279
Format: CD
Total Time: 50:18:00

After nearly a decade without a full studio album, the former prog-fusion Mastermind have arched full swing into a straight out rawk band; heavy still, but with enough melody to make the songs accessible to a larger listening public. The progressive fusion sound of former years is present in only one short piece though there are sporadic progressive moments throughout.

Mastermind remains guitarist Bill Berends at the helm and brother Rick at the kit. Jens Johansson is (thankfully) still there to help on the keys, though his work is relegated to a few songs and not as upfront as in the past. The real change here is new member, Tracy McShane. She has throaty, ballsy pipes that sound similar to Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano. With the heavy bass found throughout, the album could almost serve as a Concrete Blonde cousin a decade later, with more keys and obviously more progressive.

"Desire" starts the CD off with an ominous note, but soon erupts into what would be Mastermind's signature sound for the album ? that is, meat and potatoes hard rock. "Bring Me Down" follows with nu-metal spits here and there, flavored by chord samples and a downward-spiraling minor key chorus. It's my least favorite track but it's short. "One More Night" follows and is one of the best with Bill Berends background vocals upfront. His voice, strong in its own right, is a perfect compliment to McShane's. I particularly like Jen Johansson's mournful keys on this song.

Outside the female vocals, the "smarmy" delivery on "Meltdown" reminds me of more recent Alice Cooper. Heavy, thunderous riffs pummel us from all direction while Berend's signature midi-guitar makes a brief appearance.

"Piggy World" speeds things up a bit, and oozes with attitude with McShane delivering a spoken word verse that veers close to rap-metal. The bass is dominant here and the lyrics sting. The chorus has a number of interesting hooks, and though the song is under 5 minutes, all the activity makes it seem longer.

In complete contrast, "No Answer" begins as a ballad with a piano intro. It's a very pleasant, melodic song that builds into one of Mastermind's typical finales. "Broken" stomps along with strong McShane vocals over a soaring guitar/midi/keys backdrop. "Night Flier" is a four minute exercise by Berends to exorcise his fusion/prog past. A little bit of the old to let us know he's still got it.

The two best tracks end the album in style. "Nietzsche" sounds a little in style to Angels Of The Apocalypse, their transition album from the old prog-metal-fusion style. It's built on a dynamic interplay between vocals and midi guitar. Berends' backup vocals add to the urgency and a strong hook for chorus makes this song very powerful indeed.

The magnum opus "Last Cigarette" is a fitting end to an album that is so unlike any Mastermind albums in the past. It delivers a historical perspective on this band that shows all the colors, styles and nuances of the Berends brothers, and the powerful presence of new member McShane. It's slow, mournful, soaring and powerful and oozes with Mastermind's signature sound. The dual vocals by Berends and McShane are remarkable.

To be frank, I really liked Mastermind as a pure outright prog band and especially liked Angels Of The Apocalypse because it seemed to provide a more commercial spin without losing the prog. At best, Insomnia can be labeled prog-related. That doesn't make it a lesser Mastermind album. It is indeed very good. In fact, it is so focused, there is little room for indulgences. So if hard rock with atmosphere and strong vocals is your cup of tea, you should pick Insomnia up.

Tracklisting:
Desire (5:33) / Break Me Down (3:29) / One More Night (5:23) / Meltdown (4:13) / Piggy World (4:42) / No Answer (4:08) / Broken (4:22) / Night Flier (3:49) / Nietzsche (5:23) / Last Cigarette (9:16)

Musicians:
Bill Berends - guitar, midi-guitar, bass, vocals
Rich Berends - drums & percussion
Jens Johansson - keyboard & piano
Tracy McShane - vocal
Chris Eike - bass
Greg Hagen - bass

Discography:
Volume One (1990)
Volume Two: Brainstorm (1992)
Tragic Symphony (1994)
Until Eternity (1996)
Live In Tokyo (1997)
Excelsior! (1999)
Angel Of The Apocalypse (2000)
Prog, Fusion, Metal, Leather & Sweat (2000)
Broken (ep) (2005)
Insomnia (2010)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: June 30th 2010
Reviewer: Richard Zywotkiewicz

Artist website: www.mastermindband.com
Hits: 4416
Language: english