Lunar Hypnosis

Grade: 9/10

What is atmosphere? Well I think it is the quintessential factor that gives a visual feel to something that is non-visual, such as music. It enables you to actually create some sort of visual environment and scene while you hear the music. And Compos Mentis is certainly proficient at this.

Another band brought to the attention of my ears thanks to college radio, these Danish lads are able to create a gloomy and emotional atmosphere filled with some of the best sorrowful synth and guitar melodies and harmonies that I have heard in a while. While certainly not slow doom metal as the band does not insist upon thrusting non-stop blast beats into the listerners' faces, they don't plod along at a turtle pace, though a few sections do blast from time to time. Brutal hard-hitting death fests are a bit absent here though this can be put to the production. Still the band is by no means soft and the sound is of descent quality. The high-pitched vocals give the music a thrashier feel and offer an attitude that perfectly fits in with the depressive background. They remind me of Soilwork's Speed Strid's non-clean performance. While the band is not innocent of the crime I call synthlessness, they manage to avoid it more then certain other synth-using bands, and the use of the keyboards is innovative much of the time. Guitar solos are fair in the appearance and delivery. Influential to many who wonder how to incorporate more synth pieces into their music.

The keys and melody will not make this a must have for everyone, but we should know ourselves enough to know what we want and don't want in our metal, so I will refrain from mentioning who will and will not enjoy this band. Give them some time and they will become one of the best bands of the sad atmosphere genre, with harder and longer tracks to match. For those of us who like this melodic genre, check them out, and keep on eye on them in their sure-to-be great future.