Review:

		8/10
		Artist: Absurd Minds Title: Serve Or Suffer Format: CD Label: Dark Dimensions Genre: Electronic, Industrial Release date: March 5, 2010

2010 sees the longawaited sign of life and the return of German electroband Absurd Minds with their new album “Serve Or Suffer”. Four years ago, in 2006, they released the EP “The Cycle” and after that it has been completely silent from the band. “Serve Or Suffer” is the brand new album and the first since the 2004-release “Noumenon” and includes 13 new tracks straight from Dresden, Germany.

“Serve Or Suffer” is the 10 year anniversary of Absurd Minds since their debut album “Deception” back in 2000. The special voice of frontman Stefan Grossman is in some way very unique and the recognizable sound is still there. Though I think the album starts out very weak and it’s first by the third track “Interconnectedness” I feel that it’s going somewhere. A great melody with a distinct bassline and very harmonic atmosphere, but yet with a dark tone. The rhythmic arrangements that the band are known for are included and “Deficit Mindset” shows how a typical Absurd Minds song should sound like. The cavalcade of strong tracks continues with “Pendulum Swing” and “Eternal Witness” before we comes to the title track and my personal favorite “Serve Or Suffer”. With modern electronic rhythms, a heavier sound structure of industrial elements and with a chorus hard not to catch up with, they deliver a very powerful track. I was very surpriced by the track “Somebody” that shows off a rather different side of Absurd Minds with a very melancholic and emotional with its strong lyrical structure.

After a slow and weak start the album builds its way up to become a very strong album and I would say that that this is, to this day, their best release. The music is very melodic and the inspiration of the early 90′s electronic music, Absurd Minds delivers a modern album and they know how to create good music with catchy melodies.

Tracklist:

01. The King
02. Human Bomb
03. Interconnectedness
04. Deficit Mindset
05. Pendulum Swing
06. Eternal Witness
07. Serve Or Suffer
08. S[hell]s
09. Countdown
10. Tear It Down
11. I Enter You
12. Somebody
13. Holier Than Thou