Author: Sandi Sadar Šoba
Artist: Blynd
Label: Fishbone Records
Release: 2010
Length: 50:47
Rating: 3/5
Sepultura after Sepultura – and from the exotic island of Cyprus, no less? That’s not far off from what the quartet Blynd are all about. The band, whose roots go back to 2003, is seriously fired up about the primal sound of Max Cavalera and his partners in crime, who were still damn active back in 1990, and besides the sounds of those Brazilian redefiners of thrash, at the core of Blynd’s sound you can also find a bit of Machine Head, some modern post-thrash and really thick layers of excellent riffs.
The record The Enemy is their full-length debut, and it lets all the fans of Rob Flynn, the Cavalera brothers and, at moments, even the fiery Lamb Of God sound feed their hunger for brutal clarity and rhythmically razor-sharp rage. What wins you over first is the really outstanding guitar work, with howling, venomously spiked guitars that recall Velenje’s metal veterans Kaoz, and the excellent set of nine tracks reveals the recipe: besides the great guitars, the front line belongs to the modern-metal-infected vocals of bassist Andreas, rhythmically backed up by the rather dry but effective drum parts of his partner Alex. A big plus for the band is their truly exotic geographic origin, which gives the whole listen a special sheen. It’s hard to imagine that on an island as tiny as Cyprus actually is, you can find four musically kindred souls with enough enthusiasm, know-how and stubbornness to start a band, grind their way to a debut and a label deal, and grab the attention of the wider music scene. Their first demo Embraced And Abandoned earned a heap of praise in the Greek media, and the underground grapevine carried word of the band all the way to Nepal, Argentina and lands across the pond. Among the nine well-built tracks, the ones that stand out most are the title track The Enemy, the varied, surprise-packed and undeniably Pantera-inspired Human Touch, and the record’s first single, (Rage) Mindgames.
Blynd radiate, in a slightly and needlessly restrained way, a ton of talent, ideas and energy that can’t be denied or ignored. The Enemy is, if you’re a sworn devotee of eternal groove and aggressive edge and you’ve got a bionic HC and metal heart beating in your chest, pretty much a must-listen. In their own quirky way, these unconventional Cypriots are a downright endearing discovery, because they’ve got everything that makes you pull the record off the shelf without a second thought and, with repeated spins, blow the last speck of dust of oblivion off it. But apart from good fun and tried-and-tested recipes you’ve already heard, the guys bring little of their own flavor and mojo for now.
This review was written in collaboration between RockLine and Rock Hard Slovenija.
Lineup
Alex – drums
George – guitar
Dino – guitar
Andreas – vocals, bass
Production
Insano & Blynd
Tracklist
1. The Enemy
2. I Won’t Break
3. (Rage) Mindgames
4. Bloodline
5. Human Touch
6. One Tear For Glory
7. Take What Is Yours
8. Left Alone
9. Circle Of Life
