Memfis
The Wind Up
()

OK, so I have had this record sitting on my desk and in my ipod for ages now, but for some reason I simply couldn’t bring my self to review it because I honestly couldn’t come up with a simple description of the style. That is until I read a review of The Wind Up by my good friend Andrew over at the excellent aversionline.com blog (which I highly recommend for well writen expert opinons of hardcore) who simply put it as Opeth meets Burst-Eureka! (Thanks Andrew!).

Originally released on Dental Records in 2006, The Wind Up is the first album from Sweden’s Memfis and is one of those slightly ill fitting bands on Candlelight’s roster (Benea Reach, Hevein, She Said Destroy, Trendkill), but is actually better than any of those bands.

If the Opeth meets Burst comparison doesn’t give you some clue, what we have here is a sort of modern rock, post rock, prog metal with a slight death metal lean. On paper it might not sound that appealing, but in the same way Spain’s Nahemah pulled it off, Memfis pull if of with a typically Swedish confidence and professionalism.

When Memfis do head into one of their many Opeth-ian moments (vocally and musically) such as the obvious “Breathless”, “Eternal Failure”, “Forever Discounted” or “Cover it Up”, the influence is glaring, but when intertwined around shimmering, ebbing post rock hues mixed with angular modern hardcore (“The Wind Up”, ‘The Judgement”, “Dead Ends”, “The Game”, “Stop These Waves”, “Breed the Disorder”), it’s a little less enthralling and sounds like basically Akerfeldt and co. trying modern post rock.

Still, if anything, The Wind Up is an interesting release, though I’m not sure who the audience is. It’s technically proficient and at times a pretty damn good Opeth clone, but the modern sheen is a bit distracting. Definitely a try before you buy release.

[Visit the band's website]
Written by Erik T
September 13th, 2007

Comments

Leave a Reply

Privacy notice: When you submit a comment, your creditentials, message and IP address will be logged. A cookie will also be created on your browser with your chosen name and email, so that you do not need to type them again to post a new comment. All post and details will also go through an automatic spam check via Akismet's servers and need to be manually approved (so don't wonder about the delay). We purge our logs from your meta-data at frequent intervals.

  • Suidakra - Darkanakrad
  • Chaos Invocation - Wherever We Roam....
  • Ad Vitam Infernal - Le ballet des anges
  • Thy Catafalque - XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek (Twelve: The Beautiful Dreams Are Yet to Come)
  • Aara - Eiger
  • Mammoth Grinder - Undying Spectral Resonance EP
  • Wretched Fate - Incineration of the Pious EP
  • Kaivs - After the Flesh
  • Witnesses - Joy
  • Mythbegotten - Tales from the Unseelie Court
  • Worm Shepherd - Hunger
  • Chained to the Dead - Only Hunger Remains EP
  • Entheos - An End to Everything EP
  • Trollwar - Tales From the Frozen Wastes EP
  • Gigan - Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus