Review: “Entropy In The Mind” by Thermodynamite

We’ve had some submissions from all over the Globe from unsigned bands requesting reviews but this one is about as far flung as s they come! An Indonesian Heavy Metal band formed in 2017, Therodynamite dropped their debut “Entropy In The Mind” in September before playing October Noise Festival in Makassar Indonesia headlined by Silent Bastard.

A hilarious sense of fun is a big part of opening track “Old School Heavy Metal”, as it pokes fun at the 80s Thrash scene with tongue in cheek humour akin to some of the mid career Anthrax material. Split into two a false sending before the return for a chant of “Old School Heavy Metal” after a ripping solo completes the quartets first track on a fist pumping high. “Save Our Earth” takes a more serious turn talking of humanities impact on the planet and what we need to do to turn it around. It’s a classic Thrash subject matter and delivered as such with some Trivium esq moments. In fact, if it wasn’t for the accented vocals, this could be a long lost Trivium demo from the archives, such is the quality of the lead and solo guitar parts and the slightly flat drum sound, typical of a demo. “The End Of Despair” is similarly slick in places with a fuzzier guitar tone and bigger sung vocal. Galloping through like a Knight on horse back to a Joust with some incredible intertwined guitar duals, it’s a real surprise when some classical music via synths appear mid song that the guitars play along with at breakneck pace. It’s an interesting if left field choice but it’s fun.

Taking the raspy snarled vocal tones of Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine to “Heavy Metal Experiment (Rise Of The Underground)” is another well thought out chess move as the band experiment with different vocal styles to find their niche. Some Jazzy rhythmic gymnastics are good fun in the last third before they break out into a classic Thrash solo and riffs to bring back the headbanging. Synths make an appearance at the start of “Hologram Of Reality” but fortunately fall away as the Thrash-a-Thon continues. A Melodic passage mid song with some surprising high pitched vocals is a mind bending moment but the seamless jail break out into the bands core sound is well worked. It wouldn’t be a Thrash experiment of this nature without some obvious Metallica moments and they appear in closing track “Philosophy Of Life” which has arguably the stand out guitar moments of the half an hour of power. These Gentlemen have worked their influences into their own sound and taken the biscuit out of their peers with jest at times and the nostalgic vibe throughout is wonderful to here. They also have a couple of other tracks floating around on the internet in “Nightcrawler” and “Revenge” so if you like this one, check those out as recommended listening! [7/10]

Track listing

1. Old School Heavy Metal
2. Save Our Earth
3. The End Of Despair
4. Heavy Metal Experiment (Rise Of The Underground)
5. Hologram Of Reality
6. Philosophy Of Life

“Entropy In The Mind” is out now and available via Bandcamp.