GRAPHIC NATURE - A MIND WAITING TO DIE
The five-piece powerhouse provide a fantastic debut record that tackles mental health issues and sonically delves into a demented madness that would make the peak Nu-Metal era proud.
When first listening to this project, '404’ introduces its listeners to the world of Graphic Nature. The harrowing 40 second intro is reminiscent of Alice’s decent into a dark and twisted wonderland, with following track 'Sour' instantly kick-starting this intense trip of a dark psyche. The prominent drums paired with aggravating riffs and the pure anger that incorporates vocalist Harvey Freeman’s performance sets the tone for what is to follow in the next 35 minutes.
The lead singles of the album ‘Into the Dark' and ‘Killing Floor’ while differing in the set aesthetic and sound the band is going for, leading to a slight detour cohesively, are fantastic tracks in their own right and provide moments sure to make a live crowd go into a rampage.
The album makes it’s quite clear from the get-go that it’s not supposed to be a comfortable listen. This sense is further elevated with 'Sleepless’ and ‘White Noise’, two songs that elaborate upon the difficulties of mental suffering. “I lie awake at night / kept busy by the voices in the dark” and “Help me feel human again” are only some of the many lyrics that portray a decaying mind, with unpleasant, heavy, and disturbing instrumentals to back them every step of the way.
While the latter half of the album is a bit lacking in comparison to most of the songs following interlude ‘90’, they still pack a punch and each of them follow a pattern of insanity. The feature of one more interlude would have worked in the album’s favour, however it isn’t a glaring issue as the instrumentation and brutality of each track holds its own in an exceptional manner.
The final two tracks of A Mind Waiting To Die, 'A Twin' and 'The Downpour' bring this ultimate sense of helplessness to a close, with the two songs fully realising an emotional vulnerability of someone that has reached their wit’s end.
In conclusion, Graphic Nature’s debut album A Mind Waiting To Die is a fantastic record that brings a multitude of topics to the table, and backs them up with brutal riffs, excellent vocals and a disturbing yet interesting atmosphere. It will be exciting to see where they go from here.
Dan Tsourekas
★★★★☆