When it comes to Enter Shikari, there’s no doubt that their music is followed religiously by fans around the world. With their electronic twist to post-hardcore music, it can be said that standing out from the crowd is their A-game, as well as their ability to make every track sound entertaining from start to finish. From their debut album Take To The Skies, the hit “Sorry, You’re Not A Winner” tantalised the ears of many with its crazy rhythm and anthemic hype. It can be said that their latest album, The Mindsweep, covers the backbone of what they have achieved and not only have they experimented the appeal of all things electronic, they have also effortlessly garnered influences that is reminiscent of bands such as Radiohead and Northlane, creating something truly unique.
If there’s anything about this album release, it has the ability to keep you on your toes. “The Appeal & The Mindsweep I” has a subtle electronic start as the instrumentation builds up. The track increases rhythm and beat, mashing it up into an EDM symphony of harmonic chanting vocals, creating an atmospheric rush of synth patterns that actively seek out the adrenalin pumping through your veins. It will likely be a track to surprise new listeners, but its ability to capture your attention straight away ensures you fall into the strange, addictive nature of the electronicore genre.
“Anaesthetist” re-creates a hypnotic illusion which isn’t handled too lightly, in a good way. With this track being one of the shortest songs off the album, it’s safe to say that they have definitely addressed the need to sound demanding and powerful by its vigorous drum work and percussion beats. The added element of harsh vocals adds to the touch of the band’s work by shaping it into a hurricane of urgency and turmoil, making it an even more groundbreaking and appealing throughout.
Following on, “The Last Garrison” is toned down a notch, but it’d be hard to miss the symphonic instrumentals that are created by its synth subtleties. The creative juices that flow through its rhythm and fast-paced nature places a downpat degree of stability in comparison to other tracks, masking a perfect balance between tracks that steal the show and ones that are a beauty in disguise. It’s admirable that the band were able to signify their strengths in a different way by releasing energy that does not feel too empowering or explosive. Vocalist Rou Reynolds definitely takes a stance through his vocals by being energetic as well as becoming adaptable to the creativity that occurs throughout the record. Not only that, but the other members make an incredible collaborative effort when it comes to the occasional contribution of vocals as well.
Hearing “Never Let Go of The Microscope” for the first time may catch people off-guard by its low-key, eerie twist. As the lyric, “I’ve got a sinking feeling” continuously echoes, it’s almost like hearing an in-between song capturing the essence of both Kid A and OK Computer.
With such grace and endearment, “Dear Future Historians…” has a sentimental piano note at its start and to be able to capture the essence of a ballad as well as pull-off a few minutes of loud, rock instrumentals that match the vocals. It’s pure genius, to say the least, that they were able to find their moment of clarity and genuine ambition through its creation by capturing the feeling of love, hope and trust through the embodiment of this song.
There are moments in this album where you become thoroughly impressed by the iconic synths and electrifying moments. But this should be of little surprise – this band is well-known for its adaptable nature when it comes to creating “crunk” post-hardcore music. Enter Shikari have made it pretty clear that the ability to marry both post-hardcore and electronic music is a specialty of theirs and damn, they make it look like a piece of cake.
Review Score: 8.5 out of 10.
Mindsweep is out now.
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