Search - The 3rd & the Mortal :: Memoirs

Huge Dissapointment

A. Mchugh | Sydney, Australia | 06/25/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a longstanding fan of The Third and The Mortal. Although their style has changed dramatically over the years each progression has been appropriate.This album sees the band lose two members (vocalist and bassist). The loss of the vocalist seems to have been a huge blow to the band, something that has suprised me as they have gone through vocalist changes before.Unable to find a new vocalist, the remaining band have resorted to session vocalists, which has changed their style to more resemble trip-hop/soul derived bands like portishead. Without a consistent lead, the album as a whole feels weak even though individual songs and elements can be excellent. For example, subtle use of glitch percussionUnlike previous albums where dischordant elements are included very deliberately, some of the samples, lyrics and vocal styles jar the listener uselessly, without even the experimental avant garde foundation seen on previous releases.Like many bands who change their style so much they venture into another genre, Memoirs fairs quite badly compared to the best of the genres it's trying to fit into.There is still hope that the next album could show a return to form, otherwise, you'd be better placed getting "In This Room""

Certainly not "Tears Laid In Earth"...but still good

Matthew | Pittsburgh | 01/04/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"For the most part I agree that this album was a bit of a let down for fans of the band's early work. However, I don't think that it is as bad as their reviews have suggested.With "Memoirs," The Third And The Mortal have really outdone themselves as far as stylistic variety goes. This is a new chapter in the band's career, with the introduction of a third lead female vocalist in the person of Ingrid Tolstad. "Memoirs" is definitely a very different band, with an updated, heavily electronic sound. Normally, this sort of thing would disappoint me that a band has sacrificed Doom metal muscle and atmosphere for synthetic electronics. However, the Third And The Mortal have managed to infuse darkwave and trip hop electronics with their own renowned progressive elements and have in many ways, released one of the most interesting darkwave releases of 2002. I think hardcore fans of the band could enjoy the progression, however, the metallic elements have entirely disappeared. It is almost as if they are a completely new band which will definitely disappoint most fans as we have already seen. But here is my plea to fans - this is actually really good darkwave and Gothic club music. Though the album is all over the place stylistically, there are at least three strong `dance floor oriented' tracks while the remaining songs are wonderfully moody and engrossing. The opening track "Zeppoliner" is a perfect foreshadowing of all the various elements that comprise The Third And The Mortals' new sound. Despite the heavy reliance upon electronics and synths, the same progressive song writing skills the band has been known for are still present in this track especially. The arrangement and instrumentation is pretty unorthodox. A mid paced and groove-friendly rhythm is paired with accents of brass instruments and Ingrid's torch singer vocals. "Good Evening Mr. Q" is reminiscent of both Portishead and Bjork's recent "Selmasongs" and "Vespertine" material, with slow slinky break beats behind eerie washes of guitar, deep piano chords, and airy synths. "The City" is a trance like track, with a male vocal narrative, very cool and creepy. The vocalist sounds quite a bit like Tricky, something I certainly did not expect. "Thin Dark Line" is a fantastic hard-hitting track, with enveloping orchestral synths and soaring vocals, recalling a peppier Sunday Munich and a darker Hungry Lucy or Collide. "Fools Like Us" is an odd track, the jazz influences shining through magnificently in the swinging drums, fretless bass, and odd little chimes. Synths and samples flesh the song out, giving it quite a unique feel. "Those Of My Kind" and "Spider" make a jarring return back to more Goth and Darkwave pastures, with deep, warbling vampyric Goth vocals creeping in from out of nowhere. The music is very dark if not a bit overly dramatic, due to the somewhat exaggerated male vocals. You will either love them or hate them, it is really that simple. But the sound really works very well.Finally, I would describe this album as Darkwave Prog if one can imagine such a thing - familiar ideas and styles are wrung through the minds of very strange and visionary musicians to produce an eclectic and highly unique record. It is not your typical release, but it is definitely something I feel important to mention."