Founded in 2015, German band, Genius Minds’ goal was and still is to make true handmade rock music with self-written song. Unfortunately the drummer left the band just before they started recording for their first album which didn’t make things easy. But as Genius Minds said, “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, so here we go, still rocking.” Genius Minds currently is made up of Chris Gaa (Vocals, Guitar) and Tom Schüssele (Guitar, Bass). The band has released their 12 track album entitled, “Your Life – Your Show”.
From the opening distorted and processed squalls materializing from the crunchy guitars on “Welcome To The Show”, every time a listener rides Genius Minds’ wave on this one it is a mysteriously thrilling experience. One can only say this about a handful of releases every year.
This hard-to-categorize band mixes hard-driving, no-nonsense hard rock with liberal doses of indie, punk, some grunge and metal, and even a little Goth in a few places, with masterful musical chops and mesmerizing vocal arrangements. The key to understanding this album is to stop trying to figure out what it slightly sounds like, and realize that “Your Life – Your Show” is in its own category.
That this album has all the power, energy, and emotion you’ve come to expect from rock and its sub-genres, is easily understood from “Puppet On A String” and “Friend Zone”. The product is raw, almost live sounding, but all the little quirks and layers audible and the overall sound is rich.
Ever changing and always progressive, and sometimes extreme in its song choices – like the inclusion of quaint tracks such “Smart Ass” and “Smart Ass Pt II” – this album takes it all to the next level and beyond. A must have for anyone who is a fan of loud, kinetic, dynamic, and powerful music.
The album continues with more standouts like “By The Way”, a rip-roaring sonic explosion of over-driven guitars that serves as a flood-gate for the rest of the album. In its almost four-minute duration, we’re treated to more vocal gymnastics, strong rhythmic foundations and anarchic energy then you can shake a stick at.
“Spark” a totally diverse track for this album, is a hypnotizing mid-tempo mantra of clean and melodic guitars to give you a breather from the rest of the raucousness – which arrives quickly with the one-two punch of “Burn Baby Burn” that shows off the true range of lead singer Chris Gaa’s urgent vocals, proving he can emote melodically as he can with his cawing.
“Home” is a close contender with the nosiest track on the album with its softer breakdowns, but with the sheer thrill that’s already been set by this album, it’s perfectly welcomed. “Going My Way” is slow and melodic in parts, but loud and driving in others, and “Goodbye” has a similar ‘soft and loud’ formula which dynamically exciting on the ear.
Nobody out there seems to sound quite like Genius Minds right now, and hopefully they’ll get more exposure. This album starts off with an epic intro that soon lets you know it is going to lead to something loud and adventurous, and it does!
OFFICIAL LINKS: WEBSITE – FACEBOOK – YOUTUBE – ITUNES – AMAZON
More Stories
Jfons: Authenticity, Groove, and a Legacy in the Making
Tuomikoski Shines with the Captivating Pop-Rock Anthem “Here To Stay”
Sara Diana: A Fresh Voice in Indie Pop with “Filthy Happy” and “all up in my head”