Mindless Sinner – Turn On The Power (Reissue)

Mindless Sinner

Turn On The Power (Reissue)

by Neil Cook at 16 May 2021, 7:38 PM

MINDLESS SINNER is very much still a going concern, releasing an album “Poltergeist” in 2020, but here we are concerned with the rerelease of their 2^nd record “Turn On The Power”, rereleased this year on Vinyl no less.  So, if nothing else it will give you a chance to study the so 80s cover art depicting an inappropriately dress lady at work at the power plant, who is, well about to “Turn On The Power”.  Health and safety would have a fit!

First recorded in 1984, and released in 86 to the Swedish rockers and the world in general, the sound it very much of its age, JUDAS PRIEST and their ilk were obvious influences. For my ears as well there are touches of NWOBHM and the heavier American early 80s rock bands, which of course share many of the same progenitors anyway. I’m not exactly saying the sound is generic, but it is very much of its time.

For example, the rousing opening track “We Go Together” is a gung-ho, heads down, no frills rocker.  I have no clue where we are going together, but it doesn’t matter as the song is a banger and totally a-typical of the sound. “I’m Gonna (Have Some Fun)” could be a party-hard anthem from many LA Sunset Strip bands al-ah MOTLEY or RATT. A little heavy handed perhaps, but would have been the soundtrack to many a teenagers Friday night ritual, getting ready to hit the town to party, drink and meet girls, and have some of that fun. “Turn On The Power” opens with a sexy bass line before the guitars and drums kick into a decent song, some great bouncy bass and a great solo.

And so the rest of the album ploughs a similar furrow, there are some stand-out parts, some for the wrong reasons, “Left Out On My Own” has a weird synth sound effect at its and “Voice Of The Doomed” gives us a weird whooshing effect and an attempt at growling (early Death Metal attempt), but just chugs along not really getting out of first gear, even with its couple of enthusiastic solos. The effects dating the sound. And for the better, rocker “Here She Come Again” stretches the vocals of Christer Göransson a little with some nice wails and yelps at the start, and the closing track, the obligatory 80s ballad, all acoustic guitars and sexy bass before the guitars get going.  Actually, it is a decent stab at it and closes the album suitably, it definitely suited the vocals, where in other places they were a touch strained.

So inherently nothing wrong with the album, yes, the production could have done with a polish, but the mix isn’t bad for its time, it is simply a good example of 80s Metal, not stellar, but definitely not bad at all.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 7