With so many bands (and kids in their parents’ basements) jumping into the DSBM scene nowadays, you can’t just create run-of-the-mill depressive black metal with slow, mournful melodies and fuzzy production and expect people to think it’s amazing anymore. Whether it’s with things like ridiculously over-the-top vocals or the inclusion of classical or post rock elements, the bands getting the most attention in the current scene are the ones that not only write great music, but manage to find ways to differentiate themselves from the masses.

France’s Mind Asylum joins the brigade with their debut L’Asile de l’Esprit, and right away it’s obvious that these guys are attempting to put their own spin on the genre. Aside from the usual low moaning guitars and the tortured vocals, Mind Asylum have added the mournful tones of a very well-utilized violin, much like My Dying Bride did on albums like Turn Loose The Swans and The Angel and the Dark River. Being a longtime MDB fan I’m a sucker for the uniquely melancholic atmosphere the violin creates, and Mind Asylum throws it into songs at just the right moments to inject some extra sadness into their music.

Unfortnately, the violin isn’t enough to save this album from getting lost among the depressive metal masses. The contrast between buzzing black metal intensity and the softer portions does make L’Asile de l’Esprit a little more interesting, but the songs all follow the same general formula and the riffs themselves aren’t particularly memorable, save for a few places such as on ‘Prostration’ or closer ‘Seul le Silence…’. So while Mind Asylum’s debut isn’t necessarily going to blow anyone’s mind, it’s certainly not a bad album. If you’re a fan of depressive metal, L’Asile de l’Esprit is probably worth a listen.

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