Pantommind-Searching for Eternity

Spectastral Records | Release Date: 27 March 2015| Genre: Progressive Metal | Origin: Bulgaria

Track 1. Not For Me- Some low roaming, yet subversive bass lines, lay the interesting frame work for this songs structure via the intro. A hard nosed rhythm with a delicious distortion cram it's way into your mind. There is a sense of echo in the mix at hand. Tight yet crisp drum's. The riffs feel a bit fuzzy but they are entertaining. The subtle digital melody has a haunting theme but is not overused. Love how the riffs explode again, in the mix. The vocals are clear and full of fine expressive melody. The groove of the song is fluid but in parts it sort of stops and starts. The riffs almost feel as if they are a strangle hold upon the listener. A very eclectic syncopation.

Track 2. Moon Horizon- The song basically explodes into instant metal, that not after long contains a digital melody. It becomes quite rough, but good chugging stuff here. I like how the digital melody wraps around the riffs in the mix, tight drums. And then the flavor of the song changes to something consisting of a clean guitar, with remarkable atmospheric effects. A slow yet tight and awesome drum line. Very powerful vocals, and sweeping back into the mix with fury. The distorted guitar feel's like a pissed off god. Hard hitting and technical. Tasteful drum parts. I love the transitions in this song between clean and distorted. Both the lead and backing vocals are excellent, clear, expressive and full of soul. The distorted guitars are timed well to enter back into the mix, the interesting digital effects sweep along the mix. And then a squeal of the guitar gives a subtle hint, hence introducing a sweet fucking solo by the lead guitar. The rhythm chugs along on a palm muted path of destruction, though a tad repetitive. Digging the shit out of this groove! The vocals extend out over the span of the track, with an absolute amount of melody. And then the vocals stop, the syncopation of the song changes into something, more crunchier before with hooks, that line up quite well with the sick leads.

Track 3. Walk On- A strong, yet clean and notable guitar riff opens this song. Not very much time passes and an interesting bass line enters the mix. A beautiful piano or keys enter the fray, along with clean yet passionate and clear vocals. He reaches his second level with an explosion of passion the same time as the distortion thunders upon the track. Cool and grinding palm mutes. Tight, steady, and tasteful drums. Very Flavorful, and passion filled vocal melodies here. The song's groove is slow, but there's a crisp heaviness to it. The subtle yet sharp piano notes that cut through the mix, provide a wonderful accent to the track. The riffs do change up a bit and become more aggressive. But then the paces begin to alternate, slow to fast, fast to slow. And some sick fucking melodies begin their tread. You can feel the odd journey that this song speaks of. For a moment for some reason part of one of the guitars sounded a bit muffled in the mix, but it recovers very quickly. Interesting and cool palm muted riffs and a crazy groove here, I like what they did I just wish they would have taken it a bit farther with this song, they really had something there for a minute. I kept listening and thinking, ok yes, please do that with the syncopation. It got really cool at the end, and it just stopped, so that was a bit disappointing, sort of wishing the song would have explored it's rhythm a bit more aggressively.

Track 4. Lost Lullaby-A heartfelt, and meaningful, acoustic guitar is played in this opening. It echo's within the track. For a moment it stops, but begins again this time with the vocals. They play together for a moment, and then the digital effects enter, the lead guitar added with all this, via it's melody though simple, it sums up this track, POWERFUL. A very slow yet soulful filled track. Perfect vocals. Loving the lead lick here it stretches over the track. Great balance at this point of the song in the mix, and everything sound as if it's been placed just rightly so. And then after playing the acoustic line for a few measures it fades away into the mix, although it just stops at a moment, so I actually did not like it that it was not a full on fade out, it just stopped. Sort of weird there. The ending of this song seems questionable, why did the fade of the clean guitar not fade all the way? Odd. So you go from saying it's completely flawless to questioning it at the very end.

Track 5. Angel- A cool and catchy digital, yet vintage melody opens this track giving it an older feel to the song. That is soon washed away from your thoughts. As the distortion comes over you, with its similar roaring capacity of synced destruction. Well timed drums, very sharp. Perfect vocals. The riffs, just when you think become a bit tedious and bland, pick right up and become more interesting, even taking on a bit of a rabid flavor. Although I wish the rhythm riffs would become more than what they have been, a little bit of that is eradicated here, but i wish they'd do more. A more aggressive rhythm guitar would be great. The lead guitar is bad ass. Digging the sweeping in and out of the mix of the digital effects, very subtle. Also just the right amount of reverb on the lead guitar. Ok, I take back what I said earlier, the rhythm guitar has a better kick ass riff here, much improvement in a short period. At one point you question why? And you receive a quick answer.

Track 6. Hypnophobia- Instant aggressive riffs begin this steadfast march of pain. Why not start off with some melody to lead into this? However the syncopation is quite convincingly rocking. Heavy as balls. Sharp and crunchy as hell. It feel's like a stead fast standing firm yet craze filled tall order of onwards coming hell, towards the listener. Dread is in sight, within one's ears. The subtle flavor marked upon my ears in the chime that the lead guitar and the digital effects translate into my cranium. IT is absolute and completely finite, good material, really wish this song was longer. Very interesting Instrumental.

Track 7. Down To The End- The song begins with a sick fucking lead melody, and wicked yet compelling clean guitar riffs. The vocals begin upon a somber emotion tied to them, at least that's what I felt when I heard this. Slow yet drained is how this track seems. For a moment it becomes quiet then the distortion and driving syncopation deliver a punch. A maddening heavy crunch, a powerful drumming thump. Perfect vocals that intertwine wonderfully into the groove and feel of the song. Liking the timing all around. Things quiet up more, the vocals reign in with their passionate notable deliverance. The quiet does not last long. Totally digging the "hell is upon you" feel of the distorted riffs. Wished this grooved together better, great lead parts here, excellent in fact, but I totally see another direction that they could have taken with these rhythm parts, which could have really opened the song up more. They have a very familiar flavor that I am used to by now. The groove plays out within its well considered comfy crunch laden palm muted confines. You feel like a culmination is being reached here. And then you know one is being reached when the song begins to slow down, with more clean parts, crisp drums, along with less distorted guitar. Vocals begin to hold out notes, until they are no more. Clean guitar parts, have a sweeping effect. They actually did this before on a song, ending with a similar guitar riff but with a fade out, that did not fad out well. No fade out here, but still an interesting riff to end the song on.

Track 8. Tell Me- Even though this one starts out with no intro melody, the bad ass distorted syncopation is enough to give you reason to cheer the song on. You begin to notice a bit of a change in the formula of how Pantommind puts things together and even writes. More of a serious tone, very much a meaningful, yet heavy dose of the heart. Vocal melody washes over the groove of the song quite well. You begin to realize how well these drawn out power chords work really well with this vocal style. Though you still wish it was more aggressive at times. More passionate perfection and soul, you suddenly feel like if you died to tonight having this song be the last song you ever hear would not be such a bad thing. Some kick ass metal parts here, hard hitting. Well defined. Excellent harmonic vocals. I just wonder how the drums would fare with the use of more cymbals of not just this track but the others. And the bass guitar steps out front with a mini solo, sweet fucking touch there! Excellent way to end this one, with a kick you in the pants bass solo, good change.

Track 9. Searching For Eternity- A very warm and clean melody quite possibly an acoustic guitar starts this song. The part plays on until its message is driven home, it's destination is an electric lead guitar heavy with biting distortion that brings a familiar ripping tone, and conveyance. The wild squeals of this electric demon invite passionate vocals, that seem to be lost in their words, but passionate in every thing they say and do. I am liking the vocal melody as well as how it's all conveyed into the track. The harmonic vocals are not there all the time, but in a subtle way at certain times, it's good that's not overused. You can begin to feel a darker turn within this song. Dual harmonic guitars, and a crisp drum line, slowly march into the mix. The slow yet syncopated crunch begins its pathway to slow yet utter destruction, via heavy distorted riffs. IT grooves on for a bit, dragging some and then a very interesting change jumps into the mix, a good dose of what the fuck here. Pace, flavor, syncopation all different. It's as if the song turned completely on its end. It goes crazy, and then everything wraps around to the original song hook. You begin to understand Pantommind and their sound even more. Epic, heart felt, heavy and yet soulful, melodic material. Awesome, though slow. A grinding force of cool destruction. I love how the vocals fade out within the mix, with yet another interesting clean riff, and the ever present bass line which has jumped in and out of the mix at times during these songs, seemingly at the right times. The song ends perfectly on the drawn out warm and soulful vocals. AWESOME.

Track 10. Heart- An echoing yet melodic clean guitar, and a single well timed strum of the bass start something that seems somber and eclectic. It feel's barren and stripped down to the bone, to its very soul. It continues on with an attitude of not caring about anything but it's own existence. Yet the lone thing that it does, is seem to want to motivate you, to inspire you. That's what you feel when you listen to this track. It draws from within your own heart, actions that you can bring forth to inspire all of the rest of humanity around you. It seems to fade a bit, and it dies upon the dance of a final bass line. Delicate and yet good I like it.

Track 11. Lost- (bonus track )- Another cool yet tasteful clean melodic intro. And yet more of a difference. Simple yet powerful, and then the digital effects. Then it swings into a full on ASSAULT OF METAL. The song awakens.with a thrust of HELL YES SYNCOPATION. Very interesting with the stop and go action as well as the back and forth with the riffs. The vocals seem to have a darker feel to them, but still they retain the normal awe inspiring, passionate feel to them. Another very eclectic yet intelligent inspiring piece from this band, one hell of a bonus track. Mixed precisely, to the point of perfect, though just slithers shy of that. This track rumbles, and thumps into your mind the same as the other tracks have. They all in their own way have a unique flavor and creative catchy sound about them. Epic solo, very interesting with the syncopation and rhythm of the song slowing down, dying, and yet exploding creating a floating sensation of music within the track. Lyrics that seem to reach into your soul, with beautiful optimism. I like the echoing backing vocals in the mix.

The album ends with an atmospheric effect, the simple sound of a cricket being recorded outside. It makes you think about the real meaning of the song, about how beautiful life really is, and what NOT to take advantage of. To not take anything for granted, about telling those who mean the most to you, that they mean what they mean to you, which is something great, in the same correlation with the way that nature and life are beautiful. Basically this song reaches into you provoking serious thoughts and emotions just like all of the rest of their music. At times I have been seriously captivated by their intense vocal melodies, both lead and backing vocalists are tremendously talented. The drums, have been constantly tight and timely throughout, and set perfectly within the mix. The lead guitar never ceases to amaze. Very consistent. Beautiful melodies, but frighteningly awesome as well. The rhythm guitar however at times is slightly bland, but it does make up for it by kicking your face in when you least at expect it, which makes up for the tiny amounts of blandness. The bass lines, as well as clean guitar parts, were inserted with intense thought and creativity. I just wish the fading effects would have been utilized better where they were utilized. One song in general had a clean guitar where the ending fade effect just seemed a bit 'off' at the end, even though it was a thoroughly interesting clean riff. At times some of this music seems in a subtle way to drag as it grooves. But after a while, you are treated to the 'why' for the dragging, with excellent and EPIC melodies. At the end of at least one song there was some issues with the fading out of the riff, which I did not like, seems like a possible mixing issue. And because I wish the rhythm riffs were more pronounced. The lead guitar IS epic thorough out this album but the rhythm guitar, has equal parts of good, drag, and bland, damn good distortion though, it was always crunchy. More aggression would have been nice in some of the rhythms. Even though I wish there was more aggression here, there was some very heartfelt guitar parts here, thoroughly soulful pieces. Favorite Song? Track 8- Tell Me. Overall a decent amount of melody and EXCELLENT singing here, thorough out the album. Rating 8/10.

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