There are times when we all just want to escape; those moments when the pressure cracks the stone. It is too often that we find ourselves on the side of a neck-breaking mount, battered by atmospheric winds and cyclones of skin-piercing debris as we scream in frustration. And yet we climb towards the peak, for we know that the summit promises release.

To many of us the feeling of planting a flag in the top of that cathartic bastard is one that can only be brought on by a dose of pure, solid Metal.  When you look onto the plain from the top of that mount of angst and listen to the sound of heavy steel grinding out melodies of deliverance, there are no more fucks given. And on their sophomore full-length "Horizon", MINSHIFT offer more than enough musical extremes to ease a troubled ascend and get you to the top again.

"Horizon" rolls in with a blizzard of melodic modern Metal and showers the listener with a cool avalanche of riffs and grand, airy choruses of tracks like "Arise", "Horizon" and "The Art". One thing is certainly left sticking out of the snow is the band's aptitude for songwriting. The songs are finely composed and stand on a strong structure of solid Metal whilst soaring with their accessibility and memorability; a formula that is very reminiscent of veterans like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and SOILWORK. Though for all their melodic inclination, the band also posses a very jagged, razor-sharp heavy edge - as shown on numbers like the Björn Strid-assisted "My Revenge" and "Suffer in Silence"  - which is sure to keep listeners clinging onto their safety harnesses.

As previously mentioned, this is "modern Metal" and there are clear undertones of contemporary genres throughout, with tracks like "Drowning" and "Decay" emanating a Djenty Metalcore vibe with hints of industrial fabrics, whilst the sombre spoken-word ballad "Light" stands out of the snowflakes as a piano-laden electronic piece.  Yet for all these stylistic ingredients MINDSHIFT appear to be very proficient in assembling them together to create wholesome songs that would please fans across the Metal spectrum.

The production is top-notch; the record sounds fine and crisp whilst retaining a muscular heaviness. The mix is fantastic and does an amazing job of blending the performances of the band members into an energetic force that makes each track a juggernaut in its own right. Having said all that, the record unfortunately has its share of fillers - as strong as they may be - and thus the length of the album is a touch excessive, which in turn makes a lot of the tracks sound much too indistinguishable; but given their finesse, it's something that you might overlook.

Overall - you are looking upon the horizon from the top of the Everest. MINDSHIFT are clearly standing on higher ground, for "Horizon" is a prime example of modern Metal fortitude.