Mutiny Within - Origins (2017)

A little over 4 years ago, I wrote a review of the sophomore album of Mutiny Within, "Synchronicity", an album that I honestly cannot remember at all now, which is really all you need to know about it, that it is forgettable. So when I saw that the band was back with its third full length effort, I was not exactly excited over it, expecting another album that would be fairly safe. Let us just say that the band proved me wrong here.

It all starts with the album cover, which is dark as hell, but is also way more interesting than their previous two artworks. This is also reflected on the album as a whole, because "Origins" is a much more impressive release than the two previous albums combined. It is the product of a band that has gone through both changes and problems in the last couple of years, but has come out of the darkness stronger.

The most notable difference for the band is that they have cranked up the heaviness close to the max. We get more blast beats, more bone crushing riffs, more of the harsher vocals, more everything in fact. You can truly feel the new found power the band has found in almost every song. Of course, since this is metalcore we are talking about, there is a great deal of melody involved here as well, but it does mix really well, giving "Origins" a dynamic personality. I would say that there is a lot of Scar Symmetry in this album, and even some Fleshgod Apocalypse in the most apocalyptic parts.

Speaking of Scar Symmetry, guitarist Per Nilsson lends a solo on this record in "Silent Weapons", and you can really hear it is him. It is frantic, technical, and has a futuristic feel to it. It fits the song really well too, with "Silent Weapons" being one of the more futuristic songs of the album, both in style and lyrics. Two other guests are in here as well, Andy James does a solo in "Reasons" and former SikTh vocalist Justin Hill lends his vocals in "Serenity", both doing a nice job.

The most enjoyment comes from two of the guest free songs though, because here we can hear the band finally living up to their potential, putting out some great metal. "Archetype of Destruction" is a really heavy and epic song that opens the album in a splendid way, while the following song "Justify" is more melodic and catchy, sounding a lot like something Atreyu would do. "Secrets" and "Internal Dissension" are another good couple of songs, and the guest songs are also really nice, but "Circles" and "Stay Forever" are more of the old Mutiny Within, bland metalcore that in this record are just filler material. Still happy though that only 2 of 9 songs gets the thumbs down.

Without any competition, this is the strongest Mutiny Within record to date, and it gives me a lot of hope for the band in the future. While most of you might just ignore this album because it is labeled as metalcore, "Origins" is in fact more than a single genre placement can explain. This album is epic, heavy, and most importantly, highly interesting. It is an impressive comeback from a band I wanna hear more from now, and see what more they can create.

Songs worthy of recognition: Archetype of Destruction, Justify, Silent Weapons

Rating: 8/10 Secrets

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More reviews of Mutiny Within
Synchronicity

Mutiny Within - Synchronicity (2013)

After a promising, but mediocre, self titled debut in 2010, Mutiny Within from Edison, New Jersey was a band that at least I thought was going to be a force to be reckoned with. A solid mix of melodic death metal, power metal and even some core was well enough for me to get interested. Unfortunately, the band took a one and a half year long hiatus starting in the beginning of 2011, an inappropriate hiatus that stopped the band from growing their fan base. But now the band is back with renewed strength and their second full-length release "Synchronicity". A album that I hoped would be an development of the predecessor and that it would keep the exciting, musical abilities.

The first thing I notice with this album is that the power that the debut showed is almost completely gone. Not even a hint of power in any of the song. That was one thing I loved with the last album, the power gave most of the songs another dimension and raised them higher. Without the power, the music became somewhat bland. Another thing I was missing was the intentions that I felt from the last album. They were gone and so were the excitement. Without those two elements, Mutiny Within sounded like a slightly better version of 30 Seconds To Mars, and no, that is not a compliment for Mutiny Within. Most of these songs feel forced and lacks originality which made every listening session, more or less, excruciating.

But there are some light in this otherwise dark tunnel. Some of the songs still shows a small sign of death metal and those are also the songs that stands out in "Synchronicity". Songs like "Falls To Pieces" and "Become" feels interesting and the bands cooperation is at its best on those songs. But the death metal does not get the lead role until the song "Machines" where the bands potential is really showing off, especially Chris Clancy is really making a great work here with his vocals. Such a shame that they did not make more of this kind of music on "Synchronicity". The last notable song in this record is also the best of them. "Life To Dust" has the best song structure, best vocal work and best chorus in this album. The only song that is even close to reaching as high as the best songs from the bands previous album.

Otherwise there are not much more in "Synchronicity" that is worthy of any notice. The whole experience is nothing more than a sigh followed by a "of well, it is okay I guess". "Synchronicity" is not glistening and it shows a side of the band that I would be more than happy to get away from. As in their debut, the intentions are there but the whole idea is far from perfect. So please come back when you have something interesting to show, otherwise it would probably be best if you would return to that hiatus.

Songs worthy of recognition: Life To Dust, Machines

Rating: 4,5/10 Signs