Essence Of Mind - After the break up EP (Alfa Matrix)

English:CD-review
  Van Muylem    26 mei 2016

At the release of last year’s The Break Up! album, Erlend Eilertsen had promised us some new adventures! The new EP After The Break Up marks both the end of an era, and a brand new start for Essence Of Mind who are embracing the present and future with full energy and renewed dynamic scores. This new release features 4 brand new songs showing the band’s creative and diverse music scope …


After The Break Up sounds like ambient rock with drum’n bass influences. I hear some guitars, slided in the background. The vocals are bittersweet. It feels something like a hymn for a football team. It all sounds very positive, like standing back up after a defeat and ready to deliver winning punches. The Great Unknown (finding home edit) has a more Europop feel, with breakbeats, start-ups and a warm sound. Surrender has a more aggressive approach, up-fronted guitars, more screaming vocals and yet a melancholic touch. I like this one very much! It has the needed variety to make it and score! Until We’re Dead has a softer start, more into ambient until we get a more Eurobeat feel. I cherish the piano moment, the guitars give it a Nine Inch Nails touch.

After this comes the remixes part! First one is a more techno/club minded version of After The Break Up (ExoSun remix). It feels like the perfect spinning track (you know: gym on a bike): slowly starting, rushing, slowing down, sprinting, climbing … Maybe it’s a good idea for some trainers? The Other Side (Vigilante remix) gets more guitars, a heavier/eclectic sound with a fat bass. It sounds like the perfect wedding between different kind of genre’s: metal, techno, drum’n bass, pop/Rock. This is for sure my favorite remix! Although it reminds me a bit of David Bowie with his Battle for Britain (The Letter), but hey I’m a David Bowie lover!

After The Break Up (Chris R & Jaroslav Vyhnička remix) starts pretty raw but turns into an electronic/symphonic (strings included) piano ballad. Halfway the tempo rises and gets some help from the guitars, some screaming and grunting. The melancholic part is also worth it! It’s yet again a great mix of both worlds! The EP closes with a reprise of the same song. It gets a slower start, with a more melancholic feel, slowly fading out … It’s a last blow and forces you to push the repeat button!

Once again I’m looking forward to hear more from this band and hoping to see them finally on stage! The video is already a good teaser!