MINDWARS – V

Mindwars, the creation of guitarist and lead vocalist Mike Alvord, are a Los Angeles-based thrash metal band. Alvord formed the group in 2013 as a new creative outlet for his musical journey, rather than just a continuation of his previous band, Holy Terror. The group is preparing for the international release of their fifth studio album, V (2024), which was self-released a year prior. For those who haven’t heard a lick of Mindwars, their sound is modern thrash metal with little hints of doom metal. Also, strangely enough, Alvord’s voice sounds like a mixture of James Hetfield from Metallica on the melodic sections and Lemmy Kilmister from Motörhead on the heavier stuff. He ain’t no Ronnie James Dio, who had an unbelievable range, but he works with what he has.

Thrash Metal vs. Doom Metal

“Stand Guard at the Gates of Your Mind” kicks off the album with some doom metal action happening during the first minute of the song before going full-on thrash metal. The kick drum work is impressive and the “stand guard” chants are catchy enough to work well with a crowd. A slight complaint would be the song title is quite a mouthful. Similar to the opening track, “West of Nowhere” starts off with some doom metal vibes before going full thrash metal a minute into the song. Mindwars would actually work well as a doom metal band if they wanted to go down that route because they have the chops for it. By the way, the lyrics are a major highlight on the album because they’re insightful and thought-provoking, especially on “West of Nowhere.”

“Beneath the Trees” has a nice groove, for the most part, before the tempo picks up halfway through the song. The “rise up” chants are catchy and again, would work well with a live audience. It would’ve been nice if it stayed midtempo, however, because the groove aspect works well for the haunting / sci-fi instrumentation in the background. On the plus side, the shredding guitar work is really good. “Live to Die” and “Into the Known” are headbanging modern thrash numbers with hints of Lemmy Kilmister. The album closer is a revamped cover of Supertramp’s “The Logical Song.” The only crime is that Mindwars never wrote it in the first place.

No Musical Journey

The negatives mostly lie in the two instrumental numbers on the album, “The Road to Madagascar” and “Vultures of the Eighth Wonder.” The former has a deep meaning because it was inspired by a visit to the Holocaust museum. However, there are no build ups, peaks or valleys, and everything is at the same level. Both instrumental pieces have no journey whatsoever, making them boring to listen to. The same can be said for “Chasing the Wind,” “Crusaders,” and “Source of Destruction.” As hinted before, the doom metal sections are more interesting than the thrash metal sections.

Final Assessment

V isn’t a perfect album, nor is it a horrible album. It’s more so in the middle. Not bad, but not great either. Thrash metal is a tricky genre because there’s the risk of every song sounding the same with the intense double kick drumming, fast tempos, shredding guitar solos, and non-melodic vocals. There are few thrash metal bands out there that are able to blend different influences together to create a distinct sound without alienating hardcore thrash metal fans. For Mindwars, the band members are great players, but the spark is not quite there yet. If interested, though, give the V album a chance!

Album Tracklist

1. Stand Guard at the Gates of Your Mind
2. West of Nowhere
3. The Road to Madagascar
4. Chasing the Wind
5. Beneath the Trees
6. Live to Die
7. Crusaders
8. Source of Destruction
9. Into the Known
10. Vultures of the Eighth Wonder
11. The Logical Song

Band Lineup

Mike Alvord – guitars and lead vocals
Roby Vitari – drums
Rick Zaccaro – bass guitar