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Mastermind
Volume One
Prozone (PRO396-2)
USA 1996
Bill Berends, guitar, midi-guitar synth, vocals, bass; Rich Berends, drums, timpani, gong, percussion; Phil Antolino, bass
Tracklist:
1. Child of Technology — 5:50
2. On the Wings of Mercury — 3:40
3. The Enemy Within — 4:14
4. Tiding of Battle — 5:20
5. A Call to Arms — 5:10
6. Long Distance Love Affair — 2:55
7. Eye of the Storm — 4:13
8. Fanfare — 4:50
9. Reach for the Sky — 3:58
10. One by One — 3:52
11. War Machine — 10:30
total time 56:03
This album is reviewed in Exposé #10.
Links:
see all mastermind reviews at ground & sky
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| A MIDIfied version of Emerson, Lake & Palmer would probably sound exactly like this band. I will admit in advance to harboring a particular distaste for the work of Mastermind; since I don't like ELP in the first place, it follows that I'd like a clone even less. Mastermind uses no keyboards, instead relying on a terribly synthetic-sounding MIDI guitar setup. Compositions bear some resemblance to ELP's - that is, extremely bombastic, with lots of really fast riffing and instrumental wankery. Add to this the awfully flat and emotionless vocals of Bill Berends and you've a volatile combination of all the worst elements of progressive rock. On the upside, there are some easily hummable melodies hanging around to go with the guitar masturbation, but that's a small plus and it's about the only plus I can think of. I wouldn't even recommend this to die-hard fans of ELP. Thankfully the band got at least slightly better in subsequent releases, but they're nonetheless far from my cup of tea. review by Brandon Wu — undated —
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