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Energy

Invasions of the Mind
2008
Bridge Nine

Energy - Invasions of the Mind (Cover Artwork)

Review by: Brian
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Published on December 2nd 2008

Lacking precisely what's promised.

Bridge Nine's successive streak of solid releases unfortunately comes to a screeching halt with Energy's Invasions of the Mind. Sure, the band have seriously fresh influences considering the label: AFI circa their best years (Black Sails in the Sunset / The Art of Drowning), Bad Religion and a whole heaping of Misfits-lifted imagery.

But Invasions of the Mind is a poor and occasionally embarrassing end result of those influences. From the recording to the performance, both band and album lack serious bite -- and that's in a punk or hardcore sense.

After an intro track titled "Invasions" that's about 10 seconds too long, we're properly introduced by "Hunter Red" [Burgan?] and Tank's soaring, soprano voice. It's not entirely bad, especially if you think about him in a Zoli Téglás (Ignite) sort of way, but he has little-to-no 'umph' behind it. And this is one of Invasions' better tracks.

From there, it just feels like the band is phoning it in. The fact is, they lack serious energy -- and the pun here really isn't intended. It's just simply the biggest and most clear criticism one can draw with Invasions of the Mind. The occasional screamed backup vocals give them a nice jolt ("The Silence," "Brickstone"), but the transition back to Tank's softer and over-processed voice is uncomfortably jarring. One of the rare moments where it feels like the band is moving along at a proper clip is the half-decent "Hail the Size of Grapes."

Elsewhere, the failure to wield even a moderate sense of dynamism is further exposed by the pitiful recording. After the ear-catching intro riff of "Two Whole Minutes Underwater," you're expecting a devastating push into the first verse, but it's more like someone threw a wet blanket on you. Not long after, the potentially thunderous transition from "Revelations" to "Brickstone" ends up being a rushed change into double-time so aurally seamlessly it's seriously cringeworthy.

It's a little frustrating too, because the band obviously know how to write a song and they throw in a couple great experimental jabs, like the honest-to-goodness (and all-too-short) post-rock sprinkles of "400"'s later stages. But when Tank extends the bridge on that song by carelessly cooing "further and further away," there's nothing behind his voice to convince us that this metaphorical or literal distance actually means anything.

Disappointingly problematic, Energy showed a bit of potential on their summer 2007 demo, but Invasions of the Mind unfortunately fails to fulfill it.

STREAM
Hunter Red
The Silence
Heaven
400
Hail the Size of the Grapes

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Posted by Rudy87 on 2009-01-30 09:39:13
My Score:

I actually dig this album. I think they've got more of a pop edge to them, but it's not so bad. They're one hell of a live band, too.

Posted by herbertfranklin on 2008-12-06 00:01:26
My Score:

This is album is definitely weak, seems like it was rushed by B9 to keep the hype surrounding this band alive.

Posted by ak3punk on 2008-12-03 21:57:56
My Score:

I'm sorry but I really really LIKE this album! It sounds reminiscent of old AFI/Ignite. At times it does lag but overall its pretty awesome. Also the EP before this is fantastic, the Foo Fighters cover is weak but the rest of the songs kill it.

Go download this album, give it a few listens and let it sink in, after then I'm pretty sure you'll want to own it...

Posted by mikexdude on 2008-12-03 19:40:24

Oh, things could be a little faster.

Posted by mikexdude on 2008-12-03 19:36:24

Alright, so I went around to listening to this and you basically nailed it: there is no "umph" to the vocals; the screaming is incredibly thin and weak and doesn't match the HUGE sounding production on the singing leaving the extremes sounding really awkward. He has a great range though, and I'm wondering if the "autotune" is actually really obvious doubling. Oh, there are too many 'woahs'... and that's coming from someone who has Art of Drowning in their top 5 favorite albums of all time.

The instruments on here though, are actually EXTREMELY well done. "Revelations" is the best song on the album.

Posted by BigP on 2008-12-03 17:11:08

I was just going through some of the B9 bands and I saw the cover for this and though "This looks very promising" because after listening to Crime in Stereo I needed something better. It was nothing that I expected it to be.

You spoke my mind.

Posted by nate_derby on 2008-12-03 17:05:30

Band rules, album rules, best dudes, fuck y'all.

Posted by Evil_Dead on 2008-12-03 11:16:58
My Score:

My favorite album of 2008.

Posted by mikexdude on 2008-12-02 21:12:08

I liked their E.P., haven't heard this but one song and the autotune was too apparent. Weak sauce.

Posted by rowwwley on 2008-12-02 20:40:50

Holy autotune batman.

Posted by edgar13 on 2008-12-02 20:23:43

saw the band twice, walked out after the first song both times.

Posted by mikeinflames on 2008-12-02 20:17:09
My Score:

the more i listen to this album. the less i like it.

Posted by GlassPipeMurder on 2008-12-02 19:18:22
My Score:

eh...medium diggin it. this may be B9's attempt at mainstream appeal.

Posted by xshoutoutx on 2008-12-02 18:29:54
My Score:

... it's those damn VOCALS! At least on "Punch the Clock" he kind of sounded like Zoli Teglas a little bit, but now he just sounds like a 13 year old girl that got kicked in the ovaries and simultaneously found out she was pregnant screaming into a mic.

Posted by danpib08 on 2008-12-02 15:00:38
My Score:

I liked the EP they put out on Rock Vegas (the Foo Fighters cover was really lame though), but I agree with Brian, Bridge 9 shit the bed bigtime with this record. I saw them live with H2O and Bane and the singer looks like he belongs in Fall Out Boy or Cute Is What We Aim For, he could be mistaken for a flat chested girl.

Posted by NoSpace on 2008-12-02 14:02:43

yeah his vocals really really annoy me, to the point where i dont understand how anyone could enjoy listening to this band

Posted by deadelectromix on 2008-12-02 13:44:41

I don't see what this has to do with Operation Ivy.

Posted by asxyouxwish on 2008-12-02 12:32:16
My Score:

if this band dropped the renn faire singer with the terrible voice they could be so good. i'm incredibly tolerant of bad vocalists but WOOF.

Posted by friokir on 2008-12-02 11:47:05
My Score:

well, I actually like his voice, it sounds kinda desperate and sad (especially at the "further and further" part), although it sucks that they've used so much computer on his voice.

Posted by overdefined on 2008-12-02 11:24:34
My Score:

Entirely agree with this review.

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