This is the third album from one-man Canadian black/death metal band Through Mists.
The artist behind Through Mists appears to be very prolific, with a huge amount of material being released on Bandcamp in a short period of time. This is my first exposure to the Through Mists’ sound, so what do we get on the 33 minutes of Mindless Automatons?
The album is not quite what I was expecting, not that I had anything too specific in mind. The tracks have an unusual sound, and are definitely attempting to walk lesser travelled paths. The songs combine elements of black and death metal in ways that feel both traditional and experimental. The music offers an esoteric mix of straightforward components and atypical delivery. Of the latter, angular riffs and off kilter drums are frequent, and some of the unexpected additions to the core of the music – piano, jazz elements, or clean vocals, for example – are avant-garde in approach.
Mindless Automatons is an album that offers a challenging vision of extreme metal. Although the music of Through Mists could do with a bit more development and refinement to truly come into its own and realise its ambitions, it is clear that the artist behind the band has plenty of talent.
Check this out and see what you think.
Favourite Track: Merciless Inculcation. The longest and most enjoyable song here is a catchy slab of unusual, jazz-influenced metal. Great stuff.
Wonderbox Metal 