A beautifully complex exploration of the subconscious – review of Pallbearer’s fifth album “Mind Burns Alive”

Life is an extraordinary thing, full of moments, memories and people. It can also be surprising, where twists and unforeseen circumstances happen. While we try to do our best between the highs and the lows, we have to acknowledge that sometimes inspiration comes from the deepest of ends. This is especially true as we dive deep into the fifth release by the US doom metal band Pallbearer called “Mind Burns Alive”.

The hardest thing to control is our mind and from the first second of “Where The Light Fades” to the last note of “With Disease” we enter the intricate and complex realm of loneliness, trauma and agitations. The firm and yet soothing tone of Brett Campbell narrates this journey with sentiment and vicinity. We are not alone, after all, when we have music right there with us!

Campbell’s and Devin Holt’s guitar work adds layers and even more details to the tracks, while Joseph D Rowland’s bass is sometimes hearable and sometimes less. Mark Lierly on drums completes the lineup with his sophisticated craft, enhancing the meaning of the songs. This isn’t your usual doom album, and I wrote this in the best meaning possible. The compiled structure, the atmospheric setting, the significance of the lyrics… we are facing the best work Pallbearer has ever done.

“Here I am / all alone and so confused” – who among us can say never to have said or thought this? The battles we face daily are multiple, some even happen at the same time. To put such a feeling into a song is remarkable, and to create a wonderful piece of art from it, it’s even more considerable.

In conclusion, don’t miss out on “Mind Burns Alive”, because even if you have (luckily) never struggled with mental diseases or bad periods in your life, you will walk a mile in the shoes of those who have experienced it quite closely. Pallbearer have shown an incredible effort into the realization of this album, and it deserves all the praise it will get. Obviously it cannot be a solution to the problem perhaps, but it will provide comfort, warmth and sympathy.

Tracklist:

1. Where The Light Fades
2. Mind Burns Alive
3. Signals
4. Endless Place
5. Daybreak
6. With Disease