Master of Evil

Mindless Sinner is a largely forgotten act that churned out small amount of dominating heavy metal before vanishing, almost unnoticed. From day naught, this EP will kick you in the behind, with a display of no frills, no candy-ass BS, blue collar sounding assertive, corrosive traditional metal. While usually hailed in modern times for their killer full-length, this EP right here is worthy of its own praise – and should be sought out by fans of the rarer 80s metal, particularly those of discriminating tastes that only care for the upper stratum of materials – you’ve found it. The ballsy little affair will leave your ass kicked, ears molested, and your little brain wondering “What the fuck just happened?” Answer, you’ve been dominated.

As I say, from the outset, this one grabs you by the scruff of the neck and slaps the piss outta you. ‘Broken Freedom’ features heavy riffs and showcases the awesome, booming and authoritative baritone of Christer Göransson. Guitars come through nice and strong, in what is a surprisingly decent recording out of 1983 Sweden. ‘Key of Fortune’ destroys everything left in the aftermath of said opener however. Again riffs are brilliantly tough – with the intro sounding like something off Omen’s masterpiece of toughness ‘Battle Cry’. I love the fast pace on this one, and again Göransson slays, with his rather deep, booming voice. The backup vocal harmonies are absolutely killer, especially at this pace – and the harmony is one of the better executed ones I’ve come across.

By the time you get to the highly memorable ‘Master of Evil’, there’s nothing left to destroy. Mindless Sinner’s first two cuts have already left you bloody and battered, but they have two more gut-kicks to deliver in the form of the slower ‘Master of Evil’, and the atmospheric galloper ‘Screaming for Mercy’. The former with a patented chorus that will etch itself in your brain, and Göransson’s enthused vocal’s which will send shivers down your spine, while the NWOBHMish battle hardened closer features some cool imagery and the low baritones of Göransson nailing into your skull. Full credit to the very apt guitar lead section in this one, which just feels to fit in so perfectly, more so than most. In this one we hark back to Omen again, as well as carrying on the dark feel of things in an almost Desolation Angels fashion.

An album which kicks about as much ass as is possible in 18 minutes, this one I would consider essential for any collectors of the ‘80s stuff. This band come off as directed, focused and very sure of themselves, producing an ass-whooping here that I think is easily amongst the best records from Sweden I’ve ever heard. You’ll find yourself listening to this one frequently, and just screaming for more – fortunately the band found the energy to get a full length out also, that kicks ass. Do yourself a favour and check out how heavy metal should be made.

-DeathRiderDoom