Essence Of Mind - Escape EP

'Escape' is the new EP from Norwegian Electro-Rockers Essence Of Mind, although an EP is perhaps a kind description, seeing that the EP features 1 brand new track and 3 remixes of said track.

However, from the outset, title track "Escape" captivates the attention, bursting from the speakers with some hard hitting Dubstep influenced hard rock, that reminds me of both Korn's recent efforts and Zeromancer's last couple of albums (which is largely a good thing in my mind).

It has the signature Dubstep swagger to it, interspersed with sections of heavy guitars and some nice melodic vocal work, all of which ties the track together into a fairly varied and enjoyable listen, complete with an anthemic singalong chorus. It certainly packs plenty of hooks, drives enough to dance to, and even has some nice sections for a headbang, so is a very strong effort, and is a track worthy of some attention for sure.

So ok, the title track is strong, but it would have to be to carry a whole EP on its back, now we are into whether the other tracks are adding any value to it.

Second up on the EP is the "Club Mix", which takes the track in the more familiar Futurepop direction that we are very much used to in the Industrial scene. Gone is the dubstep swing, replaced instead with a 4/4 club beat, the heavy guitars and synths have been removed and replaced with sidechained pads, and trance keys, and there are the usual tropes you can expect to find in a futurepop/trance track. That being said, this is a solid remix, and whilst it will be unlikely to draw listeners back for a third or fourth listen, it is pleasant enough on the ears that it isn't a chore to listen to.

The third track on the EP is the Henrik Bäckström (Necro Facility) mix, which is an altogether more lively remix of the title track, with some bright and attention grabbing synth selections, and some nice glitching to add some interest. It almost has a touch of "Chrome", by VNV Nation about its main melody, which is no bad thing. It is a solid remix, but becomes a little tiresome after you get to about the halfway point, definitely one more for the dancefloor than the headphones.

Finally we come to the Junksista remix, which brings a nice touch of eclecticism and oddity to the track. This provides a nice relief to the listener, as the beats change up, the mood is lightened, and we are offered something new. There is something very gratifying about the way that this remix has changed the entire vibe of the track, and as such this is a good remix in my opinion.

"Escape" as a standalone track is a cracker, pure and simple, and if you have any fondness for Rock, Dubstep and/or the music of Celldweller, Zeromancer, MiXE1 and Voicians, you will simply love it.

If you are one of those who is vehemently against Dubstep, you may want to skip to the remixes. The remixes are all of a decent quality, but they vary in their creativity and in their replay-ability to a large degree, which unfortunately pulls my overall review score down.

Still, a good effort, and I look forward to future releases to see if they can maintain the strength exhibited in the title track. Jun 28 2013