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DIGITAL METAL - THUNDER PERFECT MIND
Honest heavy metal with a major doom slant: that's what Pennsylvania's Pale Divine are all about. Combining early Trouble/Black Sabbath-styled metal with liberal doses of the acid '60s (Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Steppenwolf, and lesser-known acts like Count Five, Electric Prunes, Quicksilver Messenger Service, et al.), Thunder Perfect Mind doesn't rip off any band in particular but layers all of Pale Divine's influences into a streamlined yet multi-stratified metal machine. The 11-minute "Amplified" (also appeared on the Judge Not... compilation from Underdogma Records) kicks off the album with a tumbling rocker somewhat akin to Cathedral's "Ride" but with psychedelic jam breaks more reminiscent of old Core (which build back up to match the song's beginning intensity), plus a dash of the Yardbirds' "Over Under Sideways Down" near the end. After a Sabbath chord or two, "Magic Potion" starts working its mojo with riff upon endless riff of metal enchantment and evasive snippets of Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)." Sabbath syrup oozes wonderfully from every pore of "Judas Wheel," as do Stillborn stones pass through "Pale Divine." The Obsessed-like instrumental "Gods, Monsters & Men" gives one a chance to breathe before launching into the album's second half. A palpable ELP spirit reigns over the acoustic melodies of "Dream Flower," which serves as a fitting introduction to the guitar solo feast of "Star Child." The band's Pentagram worship is illustrated twofold: in a by-the-numbers cover of "20 Buck Spin" with guest vocals by Pentagram's Bobby Liebling, and in their own Penance/Solitude Aeturnus-ish "Dark Knight" with lyrics penned and sung by Liebling. As expected, the cover art is incredible - somewhat like longtime Cathedral artist Dave Patchett but less fantastical - and the CD booklet is jam-packed with wild, Dürer-ish woodcuts. Indeed, Thunder Perfect Mind will have you immediately searching through your old Sabbath and Priest vinyl for that elusive riff. Back to Reviews Back to Pale Divine Home |