Band:	Mistaken Element
Album:	Engraved In Memory
Style:	Heavy metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	2006
A review by:	Jeff

01. Return To Decadence
02. Nomads Lands
03. Memory Of Prediction
04. Complex Fractal
05. Spasmodic
06. Dephased
07. Incarnate To Create
08. Sandstorm
09. Close To Nothingness

If you ask me if Mistaken Element is one of the best surprises of the French Metal scene of the year 2006, I will say "yes" without any hesitations. This young band, that just released their first album through the French label Holy Records, plays a mix of modern Thrash and progressive Death Metal in the vein of Meshuggah or Coprofago, so if you like such Metal and want to listen to some great music? please don't miss this album.

With "Engraved In Memory", Mistaken Element "shocked" me with its maturity. Even if it's only the first album of the band, it's impressive to see such quality of composition. All the songs of the album are great pieces of music with a lot of different breaks. Some of them are pure progressive and technical demonstrations, some others are slow peaceful passages but at the end the music of Mistaken Element is really hypnotic. On the other hand the music of Mistaken Element is not so hard of access, it's complex of course but not so "intellectual" if you see what I mean. The songs are direct and the really strong and nice voice of Yann Ligner intensify the heaviness of the music.

Plus the production is really good and as you already know, it's really important with such bands. I mean that all the instruments are hyper active in the compositions and we must be able to listen to everything. The bass is powerful, same with the drums and evidently there are a lot of little sounds everywhere that come from the guitars so it was a real obligation to have a good recording if we didn't want to lose something. No problem here the sound if perfect and in any case you'll lose something in the music. That's a great point.

At the end ok, even if it is still original and fresh to listen to such music, Mistaken Element didn't created anything new that's right. Oki, it's not so far away of Meshuggah but it's not a clone and anyway the guy of Mistaken Element knew how to release something that will simply kick the asses of the Metalheads in reason of its exceptional quality. So if you like "modern" Metal, don't miss this release? and you can be sure that we will hear a lot of good things about this band soon.