Customer Reviews

Mutiny Within

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Being from the old school of prog-metal (Maiden, Dream Theater...um...?)I've been impressed with many new metal bands on a strictly technical level. There's no question that bands like Scar Symmetry, Atreyu, or As I Lay Dying can play their asses off. What they lack is SOUL. And it's the one thing that Mutiny Within has in spades. Yes, they can play their asses off too (moreso than any of the above), but the vocals, melodies, and arrangements reveal something much deeper and heartfelt happening here.

This album is a near-perfect balance of dizzying time changes and rapid fire riffs, and (dare I say it?) pop-friendly hooks and choruses that get stuck in your head. It's comparable to Dream Theater's Train of Thought, or Soilwork's Natural Born Chaos. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that Mutiny Within was a seasoned band with about four albums under their belt. It's just THAT tight and THAT compelling.

Here's the other thing: the vocalist is the best I've heard in years. Beautiful voice that knows exactly when to rip into a death metal scream or growl, and when to tread lightly, with impeccable timing and sensitivity to the lyrics. I can't wait to see where these guys go, but for know, this debut is meaty enough to chew on for a few years.

Recommended for fans of Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Soilwork, Symphony X, and In Flames.

Seeing as this album is Mutiny Within's first entry into the metal genre, I bought it expecting to be impressed. When I heard all 11 tracks however, words failed me. This album is incredible.

Firstly it is worth mentioning that all of the band members are extremely talented, and that is evident throughout all of the songs. Their singer is, quite frankly, beyond belief. His vocal range is so diverse it's almost inhuman. He can go from a deep growl to such a high pitched note that I wouldn't have believed a man could possibly hit. It's a welcome change from the usual screaming that most metal singers take advantage of (most of this album has clean vocals, and it's for the better.).

That isn't to say this band is soft. All of their songs are blisteringly fast-paced and entertaining, and I was ecstatic that every song had a guitar solo.

My only complaint is that if you don't like their single track "Awake", you won't like most of the other songs, because they are all similar to that track. However, if you love "Awake" (it stands as one of my absolute favorites) you are in a for a treat.

If you like hard rock or metal, pick this up now. This is an amazing metal album that will no doubt stay on my playlist for years to come.

Mutiny Within seemingly came from out of nowhere and hit me dead in the face, and I have to say that it truly was love that first listen. Mutiny Within has become one of my favorite bands in just 48 hours of listening to the album continuously. Another score for Roadrunner Records.

Awake: A very catchy song with a beautiful intro that dives into a heavy, pounding riff that leads into the soaring vocals of the singer. The man has an insane range. The song has a gorgeous soaring chorus and overall is definitely the song that defines Mutiny Within's sound.

Images: From moment one, it's headbanging time. The riff at the beginning instantly catches your attention and then you're hooked for a wild ride that brings you into a melodic chorus and then keeps on chugging. The bass even gets some moments of glory with bass licks that rival those that you would hear in bands like Megadeth.

Falling Forever: The song begins with a nifty fade in and then all of a sudden, the singer hits a note of insane proportions. Then, the rest is all classic metal style riffs, licks, harmonies, and solos. The chorus almost has a Breaking Benjamin type sound to it.

Year of Affliction: The intro kicks off with a nice guitar harmony backed by a smooth double bass run, then fades into a quick piano break, and then springs back to life with a glorious guitar melody powered further by the soaring vocals.

Forsaken: A true melodic masterpiece. Begins with a lovely piano intro, then a beautiful guitar harmony, and then sails smoothly along the verses and then takes off flying with the chorus which ends with a powerful push from the singer, and the guitar solo is quite impressive as well.

Lethean: Kicks off right away with incredible sweep picking and pounding double bass drumming, and then the growling potential of the singer is what is focused on for the majority of the verses, then the swooning chorus kicks in and then you're thrown into the eye of a storm with a crazy guitar solo immediately following the first chorus and it just keeps getting better.

Oblivion: My personal favorite from this album. Starts off very melodic and then the singer begins and the rest of the instruments explode in unison along with him creating a perfect transition into the verses which brings you into a very catchy and well developed chorus. The guitar solos in this song are incredible and fit perfectly where they're placed. A fantastic listen every time.

Undone: Begins very upbeat and then continues to do so as the lyrics kick in and it takes on a classic hard rock sound and then kicks off into a great chorus which ends with a fantastic run from the lead guitarist. Then, as the song progresses, it leads into a beautiful melodic guitar solo that is both emotional and yet stays fast and upbeat.

Hours: The rhythm of this song is absolutely awesome on this trick. Every instrument contributes perfectly to create a heavy, crushing sound that make the vocals a force to be reckoned with as they soar over the instruments, which leads into a chorus that makes you feel as though you're flying. And of course the guitar solo is fantastic. Another favorite of mine from this album.

Suffocate: Starts off with a great keyboard intro that almost sounds videogame like at first, but then merges with the guitars and finally fires off into a crushing verse riff and electric, high energy chorus that would make any slow poke slam the gas on the road.

Reflections: Starts of slower and then explodes into a blazing fast drum fest with a powerful riff over the top and as the lyrics kick in, the drums on continue to get harder with double bass fills that would confuse many who would dare try to match the intense speed. The chorus is like a rollercoaster going up and down soaring and descending. And then as the song nears its conclusion, the solo emerges, glorious and complex which ends with a screaming divebomb and then cuts back to the chorus one more time to end the piece.

This album is incredible and one of the best things to recently come out in the metal world. It has plenty of heavy, thrashing material blended well with a hefty amount of melodic material as well. The guitarists shine bright and the keyboardist adds a unique sound to the music that makes it even more complex and intriguing. The singer has an amazing range able to soar like a bird and growl like a demon, and the drummer is devastating on tracks like Reflections and Awake. Mutiny Within has massive potential and will certainly be one that I'll be following closely from now on!

The debut album from New Jersey Progressive Metal band Mutiny Within in is impressive. They join fellow relative newcomers Divinity in bringing new blood to the fold. Where Divinity resides more in progressive thrash/ melo death territory, Mutiny within dwell much more in the american prog, meets Scandinavian power/ melo death realm. You have the sweeping arpegios, and huge choruses you would expect to hear from Sonata Artica, crossed with syncopated rythems from the likes of Soilwork and Mercenary. The songs showcase solid song writing, expert musicianship, amazing vocals, and well written lyrics. The production is very slick and polished. Each instrument has its room to breathe and shine.


The songs are filled with what you would expect from the mix of insperations. They have driving rythems, plenty of tempo changes, great drum fills, well laid keyboard interludes and shifts from the occasional melodeath vocal to beautiful cleans. The thing is these songs are pure ear candy. They are entirely too catchy. Youll quite easily find yourself humming a chorus.Songs Like Awake, Images,Year Of Affliction, Forsaken,and Suffocate will be locked in your subconsious Thats not easy to do with the amount of techincal acrobatics on display. This is a very easy album to listen to. For a debut album I cant ask for much more.

The few flaws I find are the band really does use the more typical Finnish song structures and it can hinder the progressive elements. If thats what you are looking for.They also start sounding similar beyond track 6. Brandons solos while technically sound run into the same issues his obvious influences( Mike Romeo, Chris Broadrick,) run into. They lack that soul at points( Awake, Falling Forever,Forsaken). Where instead he could use his solos to enhance the mood created by the rest of the song. But again this is a personal preference.

All said and done this album is absolutely with your cash. I truly hope they find the following they deserve.


Top Songs: Awake, Images, Falling Forever, Year of Affliction, Forsake, Leathen, Suffocate, Reflections

Musicianship 9.5/10
Song writing 8/10
Production 9/10

To be succinct, I'll just say that there is incredible potential here. This is a fantastically listenable album full of tight guitar/drum riffs and catchy melodies.

It is heavy, and melodic, and progressive in the vein of Dream Theater.

The production is clean and strong; it is arguably TOO polished in terms of production and sound, which might detract from the "rawness" of the effort slightly. But it just sounds really good, so overall it still works well in my opinion.

I will agree with another reviewer in that I would love to hear these guys "stretch out" and do some longer songs with more elaborate structures; they clearly have the chops to do great things.

Thanks for a great new metal album.

The best of new metal is right here... right now! I saw Mutiny Within in Rochester, NY. They rocked. Period! What was really cool is I got to talk with the band members after. They are really down to earth. The same goes for this album! They played their brains out. Everything is very well composed. In fact, I predict that they will grow into one of the most talented bands. Keep an eye on them; buy the album!

Mutiny Within begins their self titled albums with two absolutely amazing songs. Awake was the song I first heard by them that got me interested in the band and it is definitely their best so far. They have a very dramatic style that is very powerful. Great album and I expect even better things from this band.

This is a solid release from an upcoming band. They sound great, and are very technical. I have high hopes for these guys. I remember buying this the day it came out.

I've often wondered how it would be possible for bands to come up with material that is new and refreshing. These guys have done it.

These guys did a great job with this music. Complex but clean sound, hard and heavy riffing. I like it a lot. Finally some great new MEtal coming out that is worth listening to.