I’ve always fancied myself to be a crossover connoisseur: A subgenre that even at its most derivative, uninspired, and flat-out stale gets my blood pumping. There’s something about this ferocious brand of thrash metal in which hardcore takes precedence that remains timeless. And the older I get, the more I find myself infatuated with the heavy, groovy, breakdown-laden side of the genre; bands like Best Wishes era Cro-Mags, Leeway, Madball. You get the idea: Ignorant NYHC played with an unapologetic heaviness at thrashing speed.
Although this brand of crossover/hardcore creatively peaked some 30 odd years ago, its spirit lives on today in damn near every modern day crossover band imaginable; a young, rowdy breed who owes more to the hardcore side of things than the thrashing likes of Nuclear Assault, Wehrmacht, Municipal Waste, and so forth. In the wake of Power Trip, the torchbearers of 21st century crossover, have been bands like Dead Heat, Drain, and the subject of today’s review, Mindforce (Bonus points for these dudes for actually hailing from New York!).
Formed in 2016, Mindforce have quickly ascended to the top of the crossover crop in terms of popularity, headlining clubs to throngs of headbangers and hardcore trendies alike. The question remains: Do they have the riffs to back it up? Upon listening to their latest full length, New Lords, the answer lies somewhere in between yes and no. There’s no denying these dudes can throw it down and throw it down HARD. There are slam-tastic mosh riffs scattered all throughout this 17 minute affair, especially on cuts like “All Facts”, “When Instant Karma Lasts”, and “Survival is Vengeance”. This, coupled with the high range, half sing/half shout vocals of frontman Jason Petagine, reminiscent Leeway’s Eddie Sutton, make for a lethal combo.
That said, the senseless, chugging E riffs get really old, really fast. The bands I mentioned in the first paragraph had a knack for crafting slow, nasty breakdowns that stuck in your head. On New Lords, one breakdown bleeds into the next. It makes for great mosh pit fodder, but an unfulfilling listening surprising. It should then come as no surprise that Mindforce is at their strongest when they thrash into oblivion. “Goliath and the Runt”, “Outcasts of the Empire”, and the closing “Rotten” boast the speed and intensity of Cause for Alarm era Agnostic Front, making this jaded album reviewer wonder “what could’ve been” had they stuck down this path wholeheartedly.
Now don’t get it twisted: Mindforce is still better than whatever generic crossover band is paying to play shows in your local scene. I’ll even go as far to say their success is warranted among the demographic they’re playing to, and that’s hyperactive, straightedge 16 year olds. It’s hard to believe that not long ago, I was one too, especially considering my current long-haired, beer-bellied, twenty-something state. However, I expect a little more from my crossover these days than the cheap thrill of a one chord breakdown played over…and over…and over. Do I sound old yet?
6 out of 10
Label: Triple-B Records
Genre: Crossover Thrash
For fans of: Leeway, Drain, Agnostic Front