THROUGH MISTS - Mindless Automations (Album Premiere)

Written by: The Administrator

No doubt about it: Through Mists' rampant release schedule has reached a new rate of impressive. Indeed, our eagle-eyed readers will note that our latest track premiere, published a few weeks back, was...also a Through Mists release, the slumber-obliterating "Awaken the Sleeping Village."

This newest album, Mindless Automations, offers a conceptual tragic narrative with the trademark progressive inclinations and sharp bite we've only come to expect. The story follows a worse-for-wear protagonist who, after having been driven from his flock, consistently endures vicious attacks. As a lover of A. creative concept albums, B. kickass underground music, and C. bird violence, this album certainly grabbed my attention. I hope it similarly grabs you.

Without further ado, then: check out Mindless Automations in full below! It is officially available now, so if you like what you hear, check it out and grab yerself a copy. As always, we'll meet ye on the other side to discuss (and, of course, wipe up the blood.

---

In the world of death-by-way-of-black-by-way-of-prog-metal, this album has a unique sonic edge. Through Mists' approach on Mindless Automations maintains a certain striped-back feel. While the crisp leads twinkle and the songwriting consistently throws curveballs from an instrumental perspective, there's not a whole lot of excess in the way of low end, layers, or extraneous fluff. Across the breadth, Mindless Automations feels sparse--and this, of course, in the best sense of the word. This feather-in-the-wind feel is particularly apparent in the breezier tracks such as "Merciless Inculcation," where the keys and cleans take center stage, but also factors into the more overtly heavy aggressive tracks. Through Mists presents a uniquely vicious sense of brutality--the music doesn't pummel or crush, but rather rips and shreds with a chaotic beastial fury. Far from polished, the instrumentation and vocals meld to create a sincerely harsh and visceral experience. All is the way it should be.

The vocals, which are as deliberately grating as they come, work particularly well in the context of the album's avian narrator. I'm consistently reminded--and bear with me for the obscure reference--of the garuda's imagined strained tones in China Mieville's Perdido Street Station. These shrieks feel profoundly birthed from a beak'd maw in a genuinely unsettling way. The resulting aesthetic is quite unlike anything else out there.

The world this album inhabits is harsh, and, as a result, Mindless Automation isn't what I would consider an easy listen. This is music constructed for flesh-rending and wing-ripping, for high-flying violence and wounded rage. If that's not appealing, I frankly don't know what is.

Through Mists - Mindless Automations was released Aug. 22nd, 2022 via MSH Music Group

---

​Through Mists can be found:
Bandcamp
Twitter