Minsk: "The Crash & the Draw"

Stanford Parker has worked well as  sideman for many The first song gets off to a good start , but when it kicks in they are really trying to hard to sound like Neurosis.By the time the second song is in full force the Neurosis aspirations are in full force. So much so it makes me think why listen to these guys when I could just listen to Neurosis?  The album sounds great. It is well produced. The more Tool like moments with clean vocals dominate are the albums stronger suits.The bulk of the album is centered around a multi-movement thematic piece called "Onward Procession", but by this juncture in the album every thing sounds like the song that proceeded it until nothing has  a defined shape of it's own and this is just one sludged out slab of sound.

The first thing that sounds different is more of an interlude. The hyper-spaced out drift of "Conjuncture" . They begin to redeem themselves with the more melodic"The Way is Through" until the build up that turns into more Neurosis worshipping. This is slightly of set in a much more forgivable fashion on the exotic "To the Garish Remembrance of Failure." They works best when allowing themselves to space out into a darker more sonic place that isn't trying so hard, which they touch upon once more in the final song. The clean vocals have improved to the point of being the bands strong suit.

If this seemed like a short review for me that's because there is not much to say about this album. I no longer own any of their previous works , so it would be hard pressed for me to call myself a fan, but I always want bands to give me something I will latch onto and go int every album hoping this next one will be the perfect soundtrack I have been looking for . I see to remember enjoying this band's previous work more and don't remember the Neurosis tribute angle being so heavy handed the last time I heard them. I'll give this album a 3.5, if you think this deserves more then go download a copy of Neurosis' " Souls At Zero" album.