HEALTHY MINDS COLLAPSE - Butterfly Skin CD Album
If ever there was an album from a band on the Scottish Unsigned scene to which the phrase “long awaited” applies – and then some – the debut album by Healthy Minds Collapse fits the bill. Of course, then you run the risk that your expectations of how great the album could be are not met and the whole thing falls flat.
Well, fear not..........whatever you're expecting from this band's debut album......you're nowhere near......raise the game about 200% and you might just be close......
The album opens with “Thrust” where, in a squall of guitar fedback, a bludgeoning bass undercurrent, solid drumming and searing riffs proceed to stomp as the lead singer piles on the anguish into the verses that stride along with the titanium strength backing, a vocal that's really musical but seriously powerful. As the track marches forward the anguished verses then take off into this huge sounding multi-tracked chorus as the beefy rhythms never lose a step and the crunch of the guitars is a hammer blow to your heart. It's mighty, it's catchy, it's heavy, it blazes with intent and the ensuing guitar break is on fire and raging before the trio ploughs right into another stomping verse and rocket-like chorus, the whole thing just vast and expansive, heated and heavy, yet insanely memorable and totally tight. After the intensity of that track, the intro to “Puppet” is almost a relief as jangly guitars and bouncing rhythms precede the razor sharp vocal that really flows through the verses with taut emotion, suddenly to decelerate very briefly for a wondrous three-part harmony section, only then for the whole band to pile in to the chorus that takes off like a rocket before dropping back to earth to deliver another mix of biting and harmony-laden verses that rise like a phoenix into the awesome chorus. The band then twist the song into a vast sounding expanse of guitars, bass and drums as harmony, counterpoint and massive multi-tracked vocals take the middle bit into the sea of towering choruses that slowly accelerate to the end of the track and leave you positively breathless by the time it stops.
“Back To The Start” crashes in with a blistering lead guitar and dense bass as the drums crunch and drive, while this time the vocals have a high-flying feel to the verses that sail into this harmony-laden chorus that's got really yearning emotion pouring out of its veins, the juxtaposition of the impassioned singing and the searing heat of the guitars, a thing of absolute awe, while the rhythms rattle along and the whole thing blazes a trail of strength and beauty at the same time. Again, they introduce a neat mid-song deceleration before taking off into a new hook that's every bit as huge-sounding and addictive as the main chorus, which reappears right after as the band hurtle to the end on glorious waves of harmonies and that blinding guitar background. “Test Of Time” slows the pace a tad to give us a rolling, emotive, highly charged slice of emotional singing and songwriting, once again balancing the smooth strength of the vocal with the heat of the instrumentation before rising into another massive sounding chorus before driving into an equally fiery guitar break. The vocals are an outpouring of feeling and the three-part harmonies just add to the effect to deliciously powerful degree as the song just drives forward, taking you along with every second. The dynamics of the arrangement just shine as the band make something that sounds like there's about ten of them playing the thing, not just a trio, so uplifting and stretching from horizon to glorious guitar-driven horizon.
“Overrated” is almost like a three minute Scottish distillation of the best that Nickelback can offer, with some gigantic choruses along the way, as the guitars burn, the rhythm section crunches like thunder and the lead vocals have bite and drive, while the harmonies on the hooks are another triumph. The guitar heat powers it all forward as another memorable song finds a place in every part of you that moves, thinks or beats. “Heartless Lullaby” is just huge – it starts as a kind of bass-driven mid-paced anthem with seriously emotive lead vocal over the bass throb, the distant roll of drums and then a jangly lead guitar that shimmers in the passion as the song flows forward in the capable hands of the singer, only then for the sound of a legion of guitars fires up, the rhythm section lifts off and the multi-tracked and harmony vocals deliver a chorus that's as wide as the ocean and clear as a blue sky, as the song really does become one massive sounding emotional indie anthem that will have your arms swaying along to it as it fires up on the sea of electrifying guitar work, rock solid rhythms and mile-wide vocal harmonies, driving forward this insanely catchy slice of “modern indie-meets-aor” songwritng that's just out of this world.
“Pass It On” again flares into life as another huge sounding slice of solid delivery ensues, the emotive lead vocal, the crisp crunch of the rhythms, the resonance of the bass and the jangly beefy guitar riff that turns into a heated fuzz and then a red hot lead, all in the blink of an eye, on what is yet another gem of a song. “Get Out Of My Way” starts as a kind of lighter jangly guitar-led, slower song with softly feeling lead vocals delivering another harmony-driven set of verses, gradually solidified thanks to the crunch and drive of the bass and drums, as it all sails slowly into a sunset of choral beauty. A crisp lead guitar cycles as the vocals suddenly take on a new intensity as they deliver a command that is heeded by the band, who promptly fire up and crash right through as it all lifts off in a blaze of emotional intensity, guitar density, meaty riffing and rhythm work, and vocal magic. “Radio Wave” strides out with lower register, almost anguished, lead vocal that delivers the verses with intent as the band lurch ahead amid driving drumming, throbbing beefy bass and a mile of jangly guitar leads and riffs, before the whole thing takes off like a rocket into a thunderous chorus and then travels at right angles into a complex mid-section that's as strong as it is wondrous, before they take it back into a verse and that absolutely stunning chorus that makes this song so memorable in the best way possible and one of the most commercial tracks on a way commercial album. “Best Intentions” is a giant among giants – the powerfully rolling rhythms, the huge multi-tracked emotion of the verses, the beefy guitar and bass work, all leading into what can only be described as an explosion of a chorus driven by the massive sounding bass and meaty riffs as the drums power it all forward, the mile-wide harmony vocals delivering both hooks and choruses with the brightness of a burning sun, and just one absolute stunner of a track. They end the album with
“Kill Away” and the surprise is a song that's more balladic than anything else on the album, still highly emotional vocal delivery under rolling beats, deep bass and a combination of jangly guitars and distant riffs, as the more relaxed but still impassioned vocals provide the heady lead singing, before the backing vocals emerge and the song gathers strength, all very much a slower kind of indie anthem, partly AOR without the excess, as the album rolls inexorably toward its end point.
All in all, it's one faultless album – not a second wasted, not a note out of place, superbly written and arranged, three-part harmonies and jangly guitars at one end, heated riffs the other, a total triumph!
CD Reviews Main Page
Home Page
Dundee Bands Info
Email Andy G