Advocates – Mindless
11th January 2013
Band: Advocates
Album: Mindless
Record Label: Ghost Music
Release Date: 28th October 2012
Reviewed By: Mark
Advocates are another new band that I have recently found and boys and girls (don’t want to be seen as sexist) aren’t I glad I decide to review this album? Advocates hail from New Zealand and have graced us with this 8 track mini album ‘Mindless’ that clocks in at 23 minutes. What is it you get in them 23 minutes I hear you all shout? (or is that just the voices in my head again?)
Well you get metalcore!!! Now before you all decide to stop reading my wonderful review, let me point something out. Yes I am not the biggest fan of metalcore myself, however when done well it is extremely effective? Also isn’t “metalcore” really just a modern term for hardcore? Think hardcore was basically punk and thrash mixed together?!?!?
The tracks on this mini album are all under 3 minutes, however they manage to fill each song with exciting riffs that change from thrash-like to slow chugging, that compliment the face pounding groove laden tight drumming that also in an instant can change to crushingly punishing straight-laced brutality. Another advantage Advocates have is that they don’t try to make the riffs overly complicated and some might say they are simple, however this adds to the heaviness and brutalness of the mini album. Every song is well written, well played and the lyrics are filled with honesty, angst and bitterness and delivered with raged emotion.
Advocates and Overthrow are now two of my favourite bands and are extremely effective when pushing myself in the gym. Finally what I like about Advocates is that they don’t try’s to push the boundaries and be different in some way, they just slightly tweak the metalcore formula by adding a more groove metal element and this works amazingly well. In my opinion this is what Hatedreeds last album (Hatebreed) wanted to be, but better. All I can say is that I cant wait for when they release there debut album in 2013 as that is one I will definitely be purchasing, especially if it picks up where ‘Mindless’ left off.
SCORE – 9/10
