Conspiracy in Mind

Conspiracy in Mind

Track Listings

1. Conspiracy in Mind

2. History Reversed

3. They Feed on Our Fear

4. Communication Sublime

5. Distance

6. Ocean Bed

7. Silence Surrounds

Conspiracy in Mind,Communic,Nuclear Blast Americ,Alternative Metal,Heavy Metal,Pop,Power Metal,Progressive Metal,Rock

Average customer rating:

The Nevermore of Norway!

Life after Scariot

Fans of Nevermore, your gonna love this

Power and Melody Unite

Better Than Most Power Metal Albums

Conspiracy in Mind
Communic
Manufacturer: Nuclear Blast Americ
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Waves of Visual Decay

The Parallel Otherworld

Legend of the Bone CARVER

The Origins of Ruin

Paradise Lost

ASIN: B00074050E
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Tracks:

Conspiracy in Mind
History Reversed
They Feed on Our Fear
Communication Sublime
Distance
Ocean Bed
Silence Surrounds

Customer Reviews:

The Nevermore of Norway!.......2006-07-07

After listening to this album I couldnt wait for the release of Visual Waves of Decay. Both albums are equally great and powerful. If you like one you're bound to like the other. And if you like Nevermore, Soilwork, Beyond Fear, Dream Theater, and Evergrey then you'll really dig these guys. No disappointments here. I doubt there will be for you either. Give them a shot. Its definitly worth your time and money.

Life after Scariot.......2006-02-08

After going through Conspiracy in Mind a few times, I was stunned as to how much similar the vocalist sounds like the singer on Scariot's amazing work Strange to Numbers. I was rather late on giving Communic's debut a listen and, based on numerous reviews I'd read, I always believed he sounded like Nevermore's Warrel Dane. Well, the comparison is by no means off. However, I had no idea that the singer was Oddleif Stensland, the same guy who was in Scariot a couple of years ago. Communic is mostly Stensland's project, as he plays all guitars, sings, and is responsible for much of the songwriting as well.

The album spans roughly an hour of playing time and contains seven tracks, all of which are rather lengthy. Much like some other Scandinavian power metal bands, the production on Conspiracy in Mind could immediately be pinpointed as a classic Jacob Hansen work. The somewhat compressed and unnecessarily polished guitar tone does detract from the listening experience. The album is simply too clean and sterile given its dark lyrical and musical content. Some of the acoustic passages, such as the one on the almost 10-minute "They Feed on Our Fear", lack dynamics we've come to hear on any Kernon or Sneap produced Nevermore album. While Stensland is more of an upper register singer than Warrel Dane, some of his phrasing and delivery are definitely taken out of the Dane textbook. Though quite heavy in parts, mainly due to the rampaging bass and pounding drums (by another former Scariot member Tor Atle Andersen), I'd classify at least five out of the seven tracks as midtempo. Nothing too flashy or impossibly fast on this disc, as the writing dictates fluctuating rhythmic intensity and various melodic segments. "Communication Sublime" is one of the exceptions, being quite intricate in its arrangement and guitar playing, especially in the beginning. The bass underlying Stensland's guitar keeps the track intact while rendering it a groovy vibe. The emotional power ballad "Distance" offers a long acoustic intro and then a sudden foray into a breathing lead solo before vocals and multi-track rhythms surround the piece. Great screams echo in the distance, as cymbals sparkle and emphasize atmosphere. Perhaps the song that displays Stensland's most emotive and powerful delivery is "Ocean Bed". There is something for every member here. A great bass solo, and some of the finest a capella singing from Stensland in his career.

Conspiracy in Mind is a strong debut, but something inside me says, the best from Communic is yet to come.

Fans of Nevermore, your gonna love this.......2005-08-09

To those who just cant get enough of their Nevermore, check out Communic, these guys really shred, they've released an album that even Jeff Loomis would be proud of. Communic sound almost identical to Nevermore, maybe a bit more progressive with longer songs. and they're singer uses his more halford like falsetto more often then Nevermore's Warrel Dane. If you like Nevermore, or aggressive power metal/progressive metal check this out.

Power and Melody Unite.......2005-08-04

Ever listen to a CD (particular using headphones) that left you kind of stunned in those first moments of silence after the last song ends? Communic's Conspiracy in Mind is just such a CD.

If I were to attempt to classify the music I would probably have to land on Melodic US Power Metal. European Power metal utilizes the double bass, higher pitched singing, and fantasy/medieval based lyrics. US Power Metal is more focused on aggressive guitars, varies the drumming between double bass and slower tempo rhythms, and tends to have more aggressive vocals. The Melodic qualifier means that Communic infuses the aggressiveness with a progressive-edged harmony interspersed throughout the songs. The resultant blend is breath-taking at times. Every time you listen to the album, the more you notice the complexity, the more you appreciate it, and the longer that pause after the last song ends.

Each song is a blend of harmony, power, complex structures, and time changes without going too far into the prog realm. The vocals cover a wide range but always match the song and are never offensive. In other words, it is a perfect hybrid that should appeal to fans of both Power and Prog metal (but not Power-Prog since those bands are usually much more frantically paced). These guys are a talent that doesn't come along too often.

It is difficult to give a song by song review since they would begin to sound alike (though the songs themselves do not sound alike). A variety of power, melody, and intelligent lyrics with superb musicianship. I rated each song except Distance as a 5 star on my iPod (for me a 4 star is a great song and 5 star is reserved for songs that take great to the next level - only Blind Guardian, Manticora, Wuthering Heights, After Forever, Iced Earth (less Glorious Burden), and Into Eternity have more than a handful and I have a LOT of bands in my collection). The Distance is a slower paced song that never really varies from the base sound. It is almost out of place in its singularity of sound.

If you like Nevermore's This Godless Endeavor or Mercenary's 11 Dreams - definitely check this one out.

Better Than Most Power Metal Albums.......2005-08-02

Review by Tyler Wagnon:

Hailing from Norway, Communic play a somewhat progressive brand of power metal with a bit of a thrash feel to some of the quicker riffs. Conspiracy in Mind is only "somewhat" progressive because some of the grooves borrow from the prog playbook, but they aren't all that experimental or technical (i.e. there are no grandiose solos and the drumming is only average at best).

Communic is only a three piece, but they manage to sound a lot fuller, more like a five piece which is a tribute to the band. They opt for clean sung vocals which are better than a lot of the cheesy power metal stuff going on these days, but there is still too much vibrato for my taste.

Power metal is usually reserved for the ultra-nerdy metal fan, but luckily, Communic doesn't delve into songs about dragons or Vikings or anything like that, so give them a few points for that. Usually power metal is borderline unlistenable for me and I actually made it through this CD, so give them points for that too. Definitely an above average power metal outing.