Mind Patrol – Milking The Masses

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The band MIND PATROL is a Swiss quartet that plays Thrash Metal. With a twist, that is. They have just that little bit of humour that makes listening to this kind of music that extra special and enjoyable. “Milking The Masses” is their second album, and the band acknowledge that without the COVID crisis this would have seen the light of day some two years earlier. Especially after all the positive comments they received concerning their  2018 debut album “Against All Predictions”.

After the weird introduction, where MIND PATROL warns you that all stories on this album are true, they get off the Thrash mark with “Liars To Impale”. This has an intermezzo where some lady with a high voice asks a question. I will not reveal which one, as that is for you to find out when you listen to “Milking The Masses”. Musically these Swiss have borrowed a lot from their Bay Area colleagues, but they have it in such a way that you never get the feeling they have ripped them off or stolen from them. But you will hear snips of riffs, lyrics and drum parts that immediately will direct you to the peers. But, like I said, it never becomes too obvious.

The quality of the songs is another thing that these MIND PATROL characters have gotten right. Every tune has a proper build-up, a decent and full-bodied centre and a satisfying ending. You’re never left wanting. Whether they decide to play fast, a little slower, extremely heavy or a little lighter in tone, it all comes out and sounds as natural as Swiss cheese and chocolate. And it has the same taste and variety. When it’s about quality, I’d better compare them to a Swiss watch. These guys can sound as tight as a duck’s arse, but also as loose as a very old Y-front. They have the art of adapting to a situation down to a T.

As you gather from my ranting and raving, I am quite taken with MIND PATROL, but especially with “Milking The Masses”. It is different from a lot of the other bands in the Thrash region, whilst still sounding very familiar. Plus, on top of that, if a band has it in them to finish an album with a very strange song, which “Happy Fun Time Song” undoubtedly is, they can do no wrong in my book.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 8