Review: Mankind Is Obsolete – 'Möbius Loop'

MANKIND IS OBSOLETE
'Möbius Loop'
SELF-RELEASED

It's been seven years since their last full-length studio outing on 'Trapped Inside' but Californian industrial rockers Mankind Is Obsolete are finally back with the long-awaited 'Möbius Loop'. Such long periods between albums is always going to create an unfair amount of expectation which is going to be hard to live up to, but when you step back from all of that and actually listen to 'Möbius Loop' it reveals a band with a solidified sound living up not to expectations, but their own potential.

The album is blend of gritty post-grunge rock and sweaty club-friendly cyberpunk liberally sprinkled with pop hooks. It's rough and aggressive while being completely accessible and will definitely be a good entry point for newcomers to the band. Songs such as 'On Fire Again', 'In These Waking Hours', and 'Writing On The Wall' give the album it's stock of catchy and dance-friendly backbone that will appeal to most listeners. While the likes of 'Lock And Key', 'Lucifer's Song', 'Shadow Man' and 'Crosshairs' give the album its darker and more aggressive edge that will go down a storm live. The album's crowning glory though is the sumptuous ballad 'Empty' which rounds off the album and is perhaps the strongest display of the band's song writing abilities.

The production has a rough and low-fi edge that compliments the band's grungy undertones. The crackles and hisses within the mix really add to the grittiness of the guitars, synths and vocals when the band really want to let rip and rock. But at the same time it doesn't detract from their more melodic side either. It's a fine balance that the band maintain throughout.

OK, so 'Möbius Loop' may have taken it's time to get here, but it was certainly worth the wait. It isn't a particularly world changing record and is unlikely to spawn a thousand imitators. But what it is, is a good band solidifying their sound, and showing just how well they can do what they do. At the end of the day, what more can you ask for?

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