Album: "The Focus"
Label: Scanner (2003)
Style: EBM
Songs: 13

Reviewed by: Darklight

I really like the music of (ABSURD) minds because they create a sound unique to them. The only other band that thay can really be compared to is Project Pitchfork, but they still offer their own edge.

This third full-length release by them is definitely their strongest album yet. All of their trademark elements are included here, but developed with more structure and maturity.

(ABSURD) minds makes semi energetic EBM with nicely textured programming, heavy beats and dramatic melodies with deep thick uniquely accented male vocals that are delivered with passion and emotion.

Some tracks on this album are high energy with infectious elements that would be great in clubs, while others are bit more toned down and emotional better suited for listening to at home.

The band has really improved their songwriting on this album offering extremely varied songs that contain creative electronic music and strong vocals with well written lyrics.

Album: "Damn the Lie"
Label: Scanner (2001)
Style: Electro industrial / EBM
Songs: 10

Reviewed by: Darklight

I really liked Absurd Minds debut release Deception, and was eagerly awaiting this follow-up. I am happy to report that I’m not disappointed. But this is largely due in part to this CD sounding very similar to their previous one. So while the band hasn’t made any drastic changes, they have matured offering music with a lot more melody and drama while still retaining their trademark sound. The lyrics have also improved coming off as less blunt and more creative and artistic. The singer tends to carry melodies better as well. So this album is a natural evolution in the band’s sound. But everything that made their previous release such a treat is offered here as well such as the instant catchiness of the songs.

There is bigger contrast between energetic songs and more relaxed and melodic songs here than on their debut. This allows for an overall greater feeling of diversity for each of the tracks. The music is still constructed basically the same with solid beats, various electronic sounds, dark dramatic synth melodies and thick accented raspy male vocals. But the band has established more of their own sound this time leaving the Project Pitchfork similarities further behind.

As before, the songs aren’t too long allowing for a tight construction making this a CD that can be enjoyed all the way through many times over again. My clubfloor picks on this release include “Creators”, “Die Stimme”, “Damn The Lie” and “It’s Up To You”. This is a very quality release not featuring a bad track. But some do tend to stand out a little more than others. So the band still has room for improvement. But the bottom line is that this CD should not be missed by fans of european electro-industrial/EBM music.

Album: "Deception"
Label: Scanner (2000)
Style: Electro industrial / EBM
Songs: 12

Reviewed by: Darklight

Absurd Minds is a fairly new electro-industrial/EBM duo from Germany. The songs on this debut sound very similar to Project Pitchfork. This is due to both the song structures and vocals. If I had heard these songs in a club without knowing that they were Absurd Minds, I would have thought that I was listening to Project Pitchfork. But since Project Pitchfork is a great band; sounding similar to them is not a bad thing.

All of the songs delivered on this disc stick to a similar formula of semi-energetic tracks always keeping everything moving along at a steady pace. Nothing will bore you here. But it’s also for this very same reason that the songs sound somewhat alike. But the plus to this is that everything is enjoyable without anything included that you would want to skip past.

Most of the songs are amazingly catchy right from the beginning allowing you to get into them quickly. The overall ingredients making up these songs are solid beats, a variety of electronic sounds, dark synth melodies and rather thick accented raspy male vocals.

While overall Absurd Minds isn’t really doing anything new or different here, they do pull off a sound that sets them apart and is enjoyable to listen to. The songs all do a good job of getting right into the action without any long drawn out intros or outros. So while the songs are a little shorter than what is usually expected from this style of music, their playing times are tight and structured making this a CD that you can enjoy from beginning to end often.

While each song is fairly energetic, some are more clubfloor friendly than others. My picks for the clubfloor include “Brainwash V2”, “I’m Dying Alone”, “Venture Inward ‘99” and “Deception”. All of the songs here do a good job of blending melody with drama to make for quite an emotional experience. The bottom line is that this is a very strong debut for the band, and I would recommend it to those of you who enjoy music similar to that of Project Pitchfork.