Universal Mind Project
The Jaguar Priest

“Fantastic debut album filled with perfectly executed modern progressive/power metal” is the first thing you read when noticing the new promo from Inner Wound Recordings, sounds absolutely fantastic. The question is however, is it really anywhere near that amazing? The line-up they feature is very impressive with names known from many big names in the business, I should point out that it is the guest list that is most impressive with for instance brilliant vocalist Nils K Rue known from Pagan’s Mind. Cool artwork and everything, it is all set up to be a great album – or so it seems.

Musically it is progressive power metal, nothing very significant in that department. Production is great, excellent sound and everything. Both male and female vocals where the male vocals are both clean and growling, that is something that makes them somewhat different from most of what we hear in this genre. Other than the vocals they are not that different from most of what we hear in this genre. The album is also long, not very varied either – it feels really long and that is confirmed when I look at the playing time that is just short of one hour.

The vocals are very good, solid and powerful. The album itself is good, but to be honest it isn’t that interesting. Even after hearing the album more than a dozen times I remain unconvinced, it is well made, well performed but also quite uninteresting. The songs sounds like something I have heard many times before and the only thing that really sets these guys apart is the way they vary the vocal styles but that doesn’t add as much to the songs as one might think. In the end I find this album rather tame and although there are seeds to something greater for the band they don’t quite deliver this time around.

None of the songs do anything for me and in the end I find this album entertaining while I listen to it but as soon as it ends I forget all about it, all that I can remember is that they have interesting and varied vocals but nothing else really stands out. Universal Mind Project and their debut album The Jaguar Priest is an interesting new addition to the long list of bands I know, but it promises a little bit more than it delivers.

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