MJM – MJM IV

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There are albums that simply amaze and surprise us – Yeah, even having been in this Metal thing for a long time and heard almost it all. Hum, heard it all? Nah. – I’m still surprised by some bands. Even more when it comes from a style that some think are worn out, Hard Rock.

“MJM IV” kicks out pretty standard with “Treasure” with that famous guitar riff that you’ve heard in zillion songs but laways makes a fuzz. In “MJM IV” the fan will find touches of underrated 1980s Hard Rock bands as Helix and Kick Axe. “Treasure,” by the way, is pretty Helix-ish. The fan may remind the early WASP a little. The songs are real hard and well-written. Following track “Could It Be” kicks off with the known galloping guitar riff as well, but soon the mood changes and the song gets a semi dark wrapping. The song bounces easyly from the dark and the bright showing the band’s writing abilities. One of the highlights of the album is this bouncing through the worn-out big cars, girls, and fun to the darker themes. A band needs guts to do so. From where I’m sitting, I see there is a certain modernity in this album and it is hidden or slowly presented to the fan. It’s some licks, some moods as in “Humanoid” and its obscure keyboarding taking a ride into the Space Rock thing and thematic. By the way, following track “Mind Warp” also takes the same ride and goes deeper into some more obscure themes to a Hard Rock band.

“MJM IV” goes in an uncanny and unusual path. It begins pretty much standard Hard Rock and little by little the music and the thematic go deeper in a search for more serious themes and sonances. That’s the spice of this album and MJM do it very well. The last two tracks “Since You Been Gone” and “Feather” are epic and marvelous. “Since You Been Gone” shows such delicate features and an uncommon finesse even when it burst into a heavier mood. Vocals are a lesson. There is such a southern rock tasting in it that makes the fan wonder ‘whatever.’ “Feather” is a beautiful and delicate piece of a classical inspired instrumental song. It brings the grand finale to a great album.

MJM “MJM IV” was released on February 03rd via tomatoM Records.

Track Listing:

  1. Treasure
  2. Could It Be
  3. Humanoid
  4. Mind Warp
  5. Death Crimes
  6. Love’s a Crime
  7. Voodoo Doll
  8. Since You Been Gone
  9. Feather

Watch “Voodoo Doll” official music lyric video:

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