Poland's worst export
Experimentation is the essence of progress, but experimentation with no goal in mind more often than not yields terrible results. While some are content with just fine tuning what has essentially been done before, that is something that Rape On Mind aren't about at all. Inducing a thought of "huh, I wonder where this is going", their Downwards album is definitely aiming to be different.
Starting out with a piece of atmospheric saxophone, darkjazz ensembles like Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation spring to mind. And while there are multiple sections of fleeting intrigue, these moments are - unfortunately - disappointingly far apart. For the most part, Rape On Mind's album degenerates into mindless chugs accompanied by Soulfly-ish vocals, like a rancid misinterpretation of death metal and grindcore jazzed up with dumbed-down grooves.
Starting out with a piece of atmospheric saxophone, darkjazz ensembles like Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation spring to mind. And while there are multiple sections of fleeting intrigue, these moments are - unfortunately - disappointingly far apart. For the most part, Rape On Mind's album degenerates into mindless chugs accompanied by Soulfly-ish vocals, like a rancid misinterpretation of death metal and grindcore jazzed up with dumbed-down grooves.
"...at least then there is a climax."
Chugging riffs aren't the bane of all that is holy, but they only work when used to contrast more meaningful songwriting. Without much to alleviate the thuggish groans, Downwards is mostly just an amorphous mass of start-stop pseudo-riffs with little to no merit. Deathcore usually takes a lot of heat for being too chuggy, using single-chord downtuned strums at irregular intervals at every possible climax, but at least then there is a climax. Rape On Mind instead just flops around on the floor in a half-hour seizure to the sound of a malfunctioning jackhammer, making even the simplest deathcore acts seem like gracious ballets. While the second half of Downwards shows a more varied approach to songwriting, there is simply too little wanderlust, no sense of purpose or atmosphere.
4/10
Released in 2013 independently
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