This group is billed as the new Circle of Dust, or Klank, a replacement for the lost main-stream industrial. When you first plug it in, you'll say "Oh, yeah!". It's my personal thought that when you try to do something as well as an original, either you'll blow it away or fall flat on your face!
Mental Floss, although it doesn't quite break its nose on the concrete, does stumble, and goes to its knees. It takes just a little more than some keyboards and guitar to make a good industrial album. Something is missing, maybe a little "attitude"? Yes, there are some signs of brilliance, with some good guitar lines, but overall, the sound lacks depth! The songs seem to build you up to a point, then die off, leaving you wondering what happened to the rest of it!
As far as the lyric content: They are very strong. They do point people toward the right direction, and they will definitely demand a decision from the listener. Pointed questions and statements like:
Have you ever talked to Jesus
(Supernatural)
or
Get down on your knees if you want to see God
(Down)
are just the start. If one really pays attention to the words sung by Wyrick, they will be forced to either accept or reject the meaning. The Lyrics are out front and in your face, not hidden in the mix, as so many are. They are easy to discern, even by my Mom and Dad! No hidden meanings.
Overall, despite the thin-ness of the music, it does have its ups. As far as industrial goes, yes they do have a way to go, but as a ministry tool, I would give them a thumbs up! Be careful if trying to push this on your friend who listens to Ministry or Nine Inch Nails. They will be turned off by the lack of style here, even before the words have a chance to hit 'em!
Give it to all your Marilyn Manson friends, they don't know real music anyway!
If you're just getting into industrial, it's not a bad start. You may want this one to just whet your appetite. It's a good appetizer!
7.5/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #72Reviewed by Brian Vincent McGovernThe first track, "Supernatural," is basically a re-write of Filter's "Hey Man, Nice Shot," from its phrasing, right down to the electronic sounds used. Still, others have referred to this as Circle of Dust for Christians (because of the overt "Christian content"), and I've even heard some similarities to White Zombie and Nine Inch Nails. It's not marketed as industrial, but rather electronic…The Lighthouse Unsorted 1998Reviewed by Stacey Lee FeldmanSchizophrenia can cripple an artist's career before it starts - trying to be too many things at once, not settling on a style, trying to imitate another band rather than creating a personal style. Wyrick is prone to schizophrenia, unable to decide between industrial and metal, but when he gets locked into the right groove, there's something really good in there. You just have to wade through the…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Joe RockstrohMental Floss is the debut album by Travis Wyrick, who singlehandedly wrote, played, recorded, and mixed the whole album. An impressive venture, but trying too hard to imitate several secular bands he unfortunately falls on his face. It's just way too blatant. Rugged Records boasted Wyrick's superiority to Filter and Prodigy, but this CD falls short of the standard of both, reaching only the level…Similar sounding releases
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