Fear Factory is one of my favorite bands and Mnemic's first album drew many comparisons to Fear Factory with good reason. They had demonstrated that they could evoke the same feeling that FF could create. In my humble opinion, "Mechanical Spin Phenomena" was an excellent release and I enjoyed the fact that they chose that style and sound to pursue. It was a happy addition to my CD collection.

When "Audio Injected Soul" was released in 2004, for some reason I didn't really pay much attention to it. It really didn't grab me by the ears at all. It has been gathering dust on my CD shelf ever since. I can't honestly tell you why.

Apparently, Mnemic lost their vocalist and gained the singer from Scarve. I have tried to listen to Scarve but it wasn't nearly as enthralling as other releases at the time. Once again, I don't know why. Logic would dictate that this would be a band that I would enjoy. I digress. Enter Mnemic's new release, "Passenger".

What a world of difference. Guillame Bideau, the new vocalist, is a very versatile frontman. His vocals alternate between a growling snarl like Mudvayne's Chad Gray to a melodic style that is more like Devin Townshend's singing voice. In fact, Mnemic Mk. II is much more like Strapping Young Lad than Fear Factory. The industrialized cyber sound is still present but it is sharper and more precise.

Each time I listen to this album, I find more to enjoy about it. It is hard to separate any stand out track because they are all exceptionally strong. The band sounds tighter than ever before. They incorporate so many elements of what is current in the metal scene today, well I just can't pick one. The Fear Factory stomp in ‘Pigf*ck’ is so precise and pummeling that it will destroy all preconceived notions of this band.

I say, cast aside your suspicions and take a chance on Mnemic. "Passenger" has broken new territory for them and they deserve to be heard.