What's up, Metal maniacs? I'm here once again to give you an insight on this German quintet, performing Stoner Rock: CONQUERED MIND: signed via Gegentrend Records".

Stoner Rock... comes in many forms of musical value; CONQUERED MIND feature the atmosphere of Stoner Rock elements, then there's 28 BLUNTS LATER who perform pure Heavy Metal with hints of Thrash Metal intrigues; if you can make it sound atmospheric to the Stoner brand, you've got yourself a winner...no matter what genre it's classed as. I've always said; if it sounds good, then create it.

CONQUERED MIND has some unique prosperities to them; notable at first is Jan W Naked Hazelbeard on vocals - almost sounding like a Philip H. Anselmo from PANTERA/DOWN in a rocker kind of view (probably influenced by DOWN); with some hardcore vibes to it, musically... "Conqueror" is a most definite Stoner/Sludge album that fuses all these implementations into one brilliant package. Benni Braun on guitar (also Jan W Naked Hazelbeard) performs some excellent solos that showcases the hardcore transition evidently and obviously. With the power of Phil Kopper on bass, who adds the extra strength of groovy riffs, relentlessly... and Zehner on drums, crushing his set effortlessly; this is a powerhouse that only gets better with every track.

Even as I play the opener, "You Gave Me Fire", I hear a consistently driven, power-minded direction that embodies the Stoner/Sludge vibe, with a sound production that's spot on...pounding solos and drums make this a fascinating release. Although sometimes things get a little stale, sometimes the same riff goes on over and over, while some riffs are addicting and enjoyable, after a few times of listening to the album, things can feel typical and samey... though this was only a problem in the first few tracks: "Love Is Strong", "Need To Feel Me" & "Shouldn't Be". While kick arse tracks; this could pose a problem for some, with that little nit-pick done and dusted...I can safely say that I feel this is a band influenced by the Zakk Wylde efforts, but more so with Philip H. Anselmo...Abundantly obvious as the album furthers on; "I Need You" and "Because Of You" continue the very-samey riff patterns I mentioned earlier...it's a good thing the album sounds good at least.

"Don't Stop Me Now" (not to be confused with the QUEEN classic), the titular track: "Conqueror" and "Heliophobia" showcase some heavy as fuck intrigues but doesn't really add anything new to the table that we haven't already heard before. But the featured allure intends to provide the listener with and enjoyable jam...nonetheless.

While granted; the album sounds samey with its naturally similar patterns, "Conqueror" has some good merits; instrumentally it's a typical rocker with HOSTILE-like vocals but with toned down musical intentions. I should bear in mind that this is but a Hard Rock band who implement additional genres for typical atmospheric mentality; more so than Metal, but the integrity is there at least. While nothing particularly jaw-dropping; I can at least say, "CONQUERED MIND" sounds like a good time if you were to see them live though; at least I should hope so.<