Band:	Graphic Nature
Album:	A Mind Waiting To Die
Style:	Metalcore, Nu metal
Release date:	February 2023

01. 404
02. Sour
03. Into The Dark
04. Killing Floor
05. Sleepless
06. White Noise
07. 90
08. Bad Blood
09. Twisted Fear
10. Headstone
11. Death Wish
12. A Twin
13. The Downpour

Due to the graphic nature of the following material, listener discretion is advised. 

When someone introduces you to a band/album on the basis that "only you can do it justice", I get the feeling that i'm either being pushed towards a dumpster fire by a long barge pole, or I'm being told to "dance, monkey dance". Alas, the wires got crossed, and now I've got monkeys on fire at the end of long barge poles, so thanks for that RaduP. 

Anywho, Graphic Nature did not harm any animals in the making of A Mind Waiting To Die, though they might put a scare into any passing dogs if nothing else. Graphic Nature are a metalcore band who up the dial on the electronic effects, creating a sound that sounds like a deathcore band were invited onstage at a rave. It is a mix that does have moments where the chemistry clicks, along with other moments where the chemistry lab looks like a scene out of Half-Life. 

It's not so much A Mind Waiting To Die, as Graphic Nature do clearly have several ideas bouncing around, with "White Noise" being the result of someone throwing deathcore, nu metal and electronics into a blender, whereas on "Sleepless", the inclusion of electronics in the mix sees the group channel their The Prodigy leanings and amplify them several-fold. Now, this sounds like a recipe for sonic anarchy, and those who know me, know I love the sound of controlled chaos: the sonic equivalent of a F1 car going round a tight bend flat out, holding onto the track for dear life. Graphic Nature do sound like controlled chaos, but they feel like the kind of chaos you would get from taking your ADHD medication with Red Bull; flying off the handle and the racetrack are two different things. 

That said, tracks like "Bad Blood" has an aggressive rhythm that will burrow deep inside your head, while also recalling Slipknot-esque vibes. The rhythm tandem of Smith and Bowdery add much of the power to the proceedings, ensuring the pounding pistons will slam into your ear drums with force on, especially on the hardcore-infused tracks like "Headstone". The choppy, chuggy and squealing guitars of Woolven and Michailovskis, on the other hand, are powerful, but too one-dimensional once the initial charm of "Killing Floor" fades. 

While there are moments where you think this mix could work, they're in the minority, as much of A Mind Waiting To Die doesn't leave much of an impression beyond the aggression of the music. "Twisted Fear" and "Into The Dark" are atypical of the album; despite the layers of sound, it doesn't mask what is otherwise middling songwriting. The pieces are there, it just needs refinement, which will likely come in time. 

Graphic Nature are better in concept than execution, with A Mind Waiting To Die a blueprint of what could be built upon in future. As for now, it's a work in progress that needs more development.