Into Obscurity

Grade: n/a

This Danish quintet play metal more mature than you'd expect from such a young band (average age is 19) who are only releasing their debut album, following one single demo. The complex, intelligent melodies and arrangements which flow throughout the whole of "Fragments of a Withered Dream" put Compos Mentis in the upper echelon of melodic metal bands with groups like In Flames and Dark Tranquility. Even more frightening is that, unlike many young bands, rather than copy the sounds of Sweden's elite, Compos Mentis have simply taken influence from these bands and incorporated them into a sound that is, without a doubt, their own. You can hear elements here and there that you may be able to chalk up to another band, but if you were to say that Compos Mentis on a whole sounded like anyone else, you'd be kidding yourself.
I expect great things from Compos Mentis. This debut has left a mark on me and this is (hopefully) only the beginning. I look forward to listening as this band blooms into something even more incredible than what they've given fans on "Fragments of a Withered Dream."