Blacklist 9 - Mentally Ill, Legally Sane

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Since the coming of PANTERA’s “Vulgar Display of Power”, a new age started in Metal: the coming on Groove Metal, a definition that isn’t bounded by only a genre, but expanded to many of Metal genres. But some bands use of the extreme genres to unleash a furious form of music with the abrasive insight inherited from Groove Metal elements. One of them is the North American quartet BLACKLIST 9, from South California that storms through the ears of everyone with “Mentally Ill, Legally Sane”.

It’s a massive and aggressive form of music, like a brutal and extreme Thrash Metal band inherited the Groove Metal spirit to create skull smashing songs. The level of musical aggressiveness is amazing, but always using those nasty and greasy melodies, sharp nasty voices, thunderous bass guitar and drums, and crushing guitars. Yes, it’s aggressive, but created with a melodic support to keep the music solid and compact. And yes, it’s truly good, although it’s nothing really new.

The sound quality of the album is really good, because it’s not so easy to keep the sound “greasy” and clean at the same time. And it’s heavy as a mammoth stomping your bones flat, aggressive and truly oppressive to the point that it can cause pains in the eardrums if the listener abuses of the sound volume. The instrumental tunes are good, but could be better (especially on the drums).

The album has seven very good songs (“Azzip” is just an intro), but the brutal Groove grasp of “Stand in Line” (very good guitar riffs and vocals), the catchy rhythm of “Kali Smile” (very good and solid rhythmic work from bass guitar and drums), the slow down tempos of “Madness”, the modern Thrash Metal touches of “Mental Hostage”, and the oppressive Groove melodies of “Legally Sane” are the best songs of the album.

A better sound quality next time and BLACKLIST 9 will be on the right path. For now, “Mentally Ill, Legally Sane” is a good album and deserves a careful listening.

Originality: 7
Songwriting: 8
Memorability: 7
Production: 7