The Indictment

To play fast 90% of the time and still retain a clinical technical mindset the whole time within the speed/thrash metal confines, that’s no mean feat. Toxik’s “World Circus” comes to mind immediately, but the other examples are all from the underground: Dyoxen’s “First Among Equals”, Paralysis’ “Arctic Sleep”, Usurper’s “Divine Spiritual & Intellectual Development”, Narcotic Greed’s “Fatal”, Rampage’s “Veil of Mourn”, Expulsion’s “Wasteworld”… not that many at all with the majority hailing from Holland. Mystrez are often forgotten when talking about Dutch thrash which shouldn’t be the case. A main reason for that may be the band’s quick withdrawal from the genre resulting in a change of style towards a mellow soft form of alternative rock. Yeah, too drastic a change for the metal fanbase to keep any fond memories of this solitary stint…

but it should as the album reviewed here is a true keeper, one of the undisputable highlights on the very competitive, hugely gifted Dutch arena. A technical thrash metal gem, this opus came right on time for the band to catch the departing retro metal train, and place themselves on the map. Said map got enriched with quite a few masterpieces the same year, but even amidst the fierce competition this effort still stands strong. What’s worth of note from the get-go is the guys’ unflinching adherence to speed which becomes evident right after the quiet balladic intro of "Voices/Schizophrenia” is over, and a cavalcade of speedy intricate crescendos begins rushing forward accompanied by passable mid-ranged semi-clean vocals which more passionate, also quite screamy, moments come on the chorus. A fast-paced bassism inaugurates “The Ultimate Dark” which provides a myriad of momentary stop-and-go breaks in order to disrupt the roller-coaster ride the latter becoming quite technical mid-way, throwing stylish overlapping riffs at the listener. “Migration as a Season” shreds with consummate precision for a start, and later the band preserve the very complex approach providing time and tempo changes galore in dizzying succession for 4.5-min, also containing the longest slower digression on the album. “Tools of Humanity?” begins with a cool duel between the omnipresent bass and the virtuous leads (those are by all means the ultimate “tools of humanity”) the guys serving superb guitar acrobatics throughout as well as more delectable lead sections.

“The Endless Sleep” is a moment of respite, a short acoustic ballad the singer displaying his better, more lyrical side. “A Hidden Disease” resumes the intellectual, precise “carnage” which here recalls Helstar’s “Nosferatu” with its more virtuoso prone, galloping riff-formulas, reaching progressive heights on the more dramatic spiral-like configurations, not to mention the supreme lead pyrotechnics. “Mock Soldiers of Distress” is a progressive speed/thrash masterpiece, a multi-layered composition with a lot of twists and turns and mesmerizing melodic insertions, and “Trouble Shifting” is a marginally more linear shredder along the lines of Megadeth’s “Rust in Peace” the guy trying some Mustaine-esque vocals for a change, and later on provides a great memorable chorus which still plays second fiddle to the enchanting leads and the vortex-like accumulations. “Inevitable Alterations” is a most compelling concoction of dazzling intricate riff-patterns the overall delivery again recalling the Mustaine gang, but with more frequent technical embellishments those also bringing the album in the vicinity of masters like Deathrow and Decision D. “Instruments of Genocide” thrashes hard with impetuous gallops racing with urgent complex sweeps this symbiosis making this cut the fastest one here, contrasting with the gorgeous balladic lead-driven outro “High Roads in the Sky”, another exhibition of genius worthy of Marty Friedman and Joe Satriani.

A smattering collection of intricacy and speed, this album can be viewed as a textbook on fast technical play as there's an inordinate number of riff applications that cover a fairly wide ground tending to the taste of the entire speed/thrash metal kaleidoscope. The riff density would be too big for the more level-headed fans, but those should also lend it an ear if only to be exposed to an exhibition of sheer musical mastery. Their colleagues and compatriots Paralysis’ Arctic Sleep” EP comes close in terms of layout and execution, but this affair here is more meticulously constructed and more ingeniously woven; it’s very rare that one would encounter such a logical, and yet labyrinthine tapestry of awe-inspiring time-signatures and exuberant guitar histrionics that never loses the plot even for a split second. It rightfully shares the stage with other similar eye-openers like Deathrow’s “Deception Ignored”, Coroner’s “Mental Vortex”, Mekong Delta’s “Kaleidoscope”, and Megadeth’s “Rust in Peace”.

The fact that the guys very quickly lost their interest in metal is really sad; with so much talent and ideas available they definitely had what it took to nail at least one more album of the kind… they changed their name to Change of Season shortly after this opus’ release, and the exit from the metal field started almost instantly, also painfully evident on the album they put out under the Mystrez moniker again later in the 90’s. Mistresses, what can you do… you can never trust them completely, but you always know that when they deliver it can’t be anything less than the best.

In the late 80s and early 90s, when thrash was enjoying it's final golden years, there seemed to be an outburst of bands and albums that focused more on the technicality and progressive structures rather than the vicious intensity that thrash was more well known for. Watchtower's Control And Resistance, Toxik's Think This and Realm's Suiciety are some notable examples. However, there were a few bands who accomplished to merge both the new tight progressive sound without compromising the intensity which the old school bands had perfected. Mystrez's Indictment has to be the cream of the crop in this specific style.

Not only is this album technical and progressive, it's also very bizarre. Even though if we dissect the riffs to their very core, due to little changes like using the high open strings in the middle of a certain riff, they manage to sound uniquely unusual. In general, the riffs are rather dark. And even though this is in essence a progressive album, there are almost no slow paced riffs to be found. The riffs are extremely infectious and are a blast to listen to. The gallops, chugs, small melodic lines are all elegantly done. The solos are just as dark as the riffs are. There is a constant trade off between an aggressive state and a more slower, melodic mode state within the solos.

The vocalist definitely adds to the unorthodox feel of the album. Unlike a lot of other vocalists for tech/prog bands at the time, he doesn't mainly provide a classic metal influenced high pitched sound, even though he does execute a little bit of it. He primarily exercises a harsh, unsettling tone which is unlike anything I've heard before. He sings, he screams, he growls, he even talks which might sound awkward at first listen but after a while you realize that it fits in perfectly. His vocal patterns are also strange. He'll stop singing at the most unexpected of moments, he'll scream randomly, he might even drop a few lyrics when the guitar solos are going on. None of this is a bad thing as it adds to the weird feel of the album.

Considering how many riff changes there are in a song, it's hard to believe that the songs flow so seamlessly. I think this is because of the constant frantic pace of the album. The drummer sounds very hyper and the abundance of his beats can only be compared to the amount of riffs in the album. His fills are very aggressive and the drumming never sounds monotonous. The bassist doesn't make himself too apparent, which is a little unfortunate. However, when he does, he gives out some impressive bass lines and licks. The production has a bit of a raw garage-y sound, but everything is heard clearly.

This album a priceless gem. It's quite unique with it's 'out there' feel. The guitars attack precisely, the drums strike flawlessly and the vocalist is very diverse with his onslaught of aggression. It's hard to comprehend how the band made the album sound so outlandish and peculiar without using any instrument other than the traditional ones (i.e guitar, bass, drums). The Indictment is truly an outstanding, magnificent and hair raising effort.