On Mnemic's third album, songwriting remains the prime weakness in their melding of Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, and Fear Factory (their expression of affinity for that band taken a step further by the enlisting of Christian Olde Wolbers as producer). Some progress has occurred in this area--more striking rhythms in comparison to Audio Injected Soul, more experimentation with structures, some choruses (notably the quite Soilworky one in "Meaningless," which was co-written by Roy "Z." Ramirez) that are catchy, at least temporarily, without being excessively perky, like that of AIS's "Illuminate"--but their songs still don't go anywhere. Mnemic seem to have almost no idea how to build or sustain tension and momentum, or else deem those qualities unimportant. As compositions, these songs do not imprint themselves in one's mind, nor are Mnemic's "sonics" interesting enough to compensate. The tight riffing is benign, lacking the intensity, technicality, and inspired playing of Meshuggah (or of some of the Swedes's more worthy followers), often sounding like the work of drudges hovering in the background, which is where most of the industrial elements are stashed. The only instrument, in fact, manifesting itself with any immediacy is the voice of new frontman Guillaume Bideau (ex-Scarve). While employing many of the same techniques and styles as Michael Bøgballe, Bideau is screamier, which gets old after awhile, so on the extreme side I'd give a slight edge to Bøgballe. The Frenchman's clean singing (in all its varieties) is superior, however, and more creativity has gone into multi-tracking. Still, his vocals rarely provide the kind of arresting moments needed to take the album beyond the level of heavy background music.

The one part of Passenger that truly resonates is an interlude late in "Stuck Here," during which big slabs of overtly Meshuggah-like inexorable riffage and some (insignificant) shouting alternate with sci-fi-toned melodic guitars and a funky, slightly raspy vocal, one of Bideau's best. Stimulating yet hypnotic, this period of just over a minute shows Mnemic really developing something for a change AND creating sounds that make their adopted label of "fusion future metal" seem like more than just self-aggrandizing jargon.

Mnemic's artistic goals past and present may be as lofty and daring as Nuclear Blast, in the dangling-modifier-ridden press release for Passenger, tries to make them sound, but they are an underachieving band, thus far displaying neither the imagination to transcend aural mayhem without substance nor the soul to inject their technically proficient musicianship with passion.

written by Maud

Playing time: 47.31