PARALLEL MINDS is a French modern progressive metal band blending the rigor of thrash, the harmonic richness of prog and the majesty of power metal. After three albums released with renowned labels, the band now establishes itself as a key act of the European metal scene with "Cairn," a fourth album with strong narrative depth and international scope. It is a conceptual work, a 61-minute journey through suffering, memory and resilience. Each track explores the mark left by humanity in its constant struggle against destruction and oblivion. The album transcends cultural borders to offer a deeply human and universal metal fresco. "Cairn" is a large-scale album, designed for full immersive listening while featuring powerful and striking tracks able to stand on their own as singles.

Following the short introduction song of the title track, "Sufero" is first. The first thing I notice is how well the band combines the genres of Prog, Power, and Thrash together. The production is a little muted for me, but their musicianship is quite strong. "Orishas" begins with ritualistic drumming and singing, and segues to smoother tones. Hardened guitar riffs are added, and the vocals snarl with anger, and much of the Power Metal elements come from the galloping drums and chorus. "Trail of Tears" has anthemic qualities from the opening vocals that again are sung ritualistically. They extend to close to two minutes and are followed by acoustic guitars and clean vocals. A distorted riff follows, the song balances some of the harder elements with softer ones, and the proggy side of the band comes through stronger.

"Sekigahara" is a faster moving song with that familiar gate of Power Metal. All of the instruments and vocals here are sharp and tight, and they move with purpose. Their musicianship is excellent, no doubt, but so far, the songs just aren't resonating with me much. "Troubles" features some (simulated?) bag pipes, and the band speaks of the times in the highlands of Scotland, telling a story. Their storytelling is noteworthy, but just a bit cheesy for me. Still, you have to admire their commitment. "Colonias" is much more emotionally impactful, with a palate of clean, expressive vocals and acoustic guitars. This song definitely resonates more with me. "On Both Sides" is the longest song on the album with a run time of over nine minutes. It's a grand, sweeping arrangement of Power Prog that features a strong vocal performance.

"Fear is the Pandemic" is the final offering, and it has darker, more dangerous edge. Orchestral arrangements can be heard along with the riffs and angry vocals. Other times, it is more focused on the softer side of the band. This album was lengthy and the 60+ minutes of run time did seem to have some concept qualities. Their musicianship was excellent, but I found it difficult to really be able to dig into their sound. Normally, I love mashups, especially from French bands…this one just didn't do much for me and just wasn't overly memorable.