McStine & Minnemann: II

Marco Minnemann really doesn’t need an introduction at this point. The man’s an absolute machine, both when it comes to drumming and amount of work he does a year. Hell, he’s recorded not one, but two albums with multi-instrumentalist Randy McStine in just one year! The second one, aptly titled McStine & Minnemann II is what I’ll be tackling today.

A lot of current prog/metal/jazz/alternative project members seem to forget the most important thing when writing their music - melody. I’m extraordinarily happy to say that this is not one of these projects. McStine & Minnemann’s music manages to be surprisingly catchy in places, despite the complexity - look no further than tracks like “I Don’t Feel�, “Tired�, and “Quarantine Sex Slave�. These songs have a melodies that definitely will stay in your head after a listen or two.

Marco’s metal roots are showcased in the duet of “The Flame� and “Old Sparky�. The two musicians go ham on their respective instruments, creating short snippets of chaos amidst the relative calmness of the album.

The tracks that I haven’t mentioned so far are what I called “snippets� - likely created in a spontaneous, catch-the-moment way. From among these, my favourite is the happy-go-lucky “Dumbdumb�, which radiates Beatles-esque energy from a mile away - I dare anyone to listen to it without cracking a smile! Another “snippet� worth mentioning is “Hello Dear Miss Swan Song�, which combines the aforementioned happiness with Marco’s aggressive double kicking.

McStine & Minnemann II sounds like an incredibly fun and joyous jam session. Over the 40+ minutes, this dynamic duo bombards the listener with a huge number of ideas, showcasing their boundless creativity. Personally, I would like some “snippet� tracks to become full-fledged songs, but what I’ve got is a stellar package either way. Man, if only jam sessions with my friends were this fruitful...!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Love Before Algorithms
2. I Don't Need It
3. I Don't Feel
4. Girls At The Gig
5.Big Wave
6. Tired
7. REM
8. Love After Algorithms
9. The Flame
10. Old Sparky
11. Quarantine Sex Slave
12. Hello Dear Miss Swan Song
13. Dumbdumb
14. Distant Bodies
15. Running In Place
16. The Horse is Dead

Added: April 14th 2021
Reviewer: Maciej Slowik
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 596
Language: english

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