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From Sunrise To Sunset - Reviews
"Subject to Thoughts is a Texas based band, currently consisting of Mark Mendieta and Brandon Strader. Strader handles guitar soloing and main vocals, while Mendieta basically takes care of everything else. From Sunrise to Sunset is the fourth release from this studio project, and the third chapter in a planned series of four concept albums courtesy of Mark Mendieta. This 2007 release is also the first album where Mendieta has involved another musician, as Subject to Thoughts has been his solo project from the start in 1999 until the recording of this release started.
Musically this release has a lot going for it - much more than the rating of this humble reviewer might indicate. There's quite a lot of thought behind the compositions here, and it's obvious that the album as a whole has been planned in a very specific manner. All the 11 tunes that fill out as good as all available space on this CD are more or less similar in mood and style. The main difference is in length; most tunes clock in at about 6 minutes, with a few as short as just fewer than 5 minutes in length and the longest clocking in at almost 12 minutes.
As for musical influences, they are a bit hard to tell. There are probably many influences at play here, and the most obvious ones aren't artists I'm too familiar with it seems. New age and ambient music is an important influence, and I would think that symphonic as well as so-called neo-progressive rock is musical styles familiar to the members of this band.
Keyboard layers and atmospheric guitar playing are central in the compositions here. The soundscapes are dreamy in nature, from light and fragile atmospheres to dark and slightly sinister moods. Multiple layers of keyboards provide most of this dream-like quality, while acoustic guitar licks provide additional texture, electric guitars add some darker textures at times, as well as melodic riffs when applied and when distorted a dissonance to create a slightly eerie feeling to it all. Mostly slow and dreamlike solo guitar is a central element in all instrumental sections on the album - of which there are plentiful - and for the most it is used effectively too.
With the vocals as the next element, we also start to come close to the weak elements of this release. The vocals themselves seems to be fair enough though, a light, melodic laidback vocal style in most vocal passages and a dark, somber talking voice for the rest. The problem is actually hearing them. The vocals are buried quite deep in the mix, at best to the extent where it is taxing to find out what is being sung, at worst to the point of the vocals actually disappearing in the mix. For some it may not be a big issue, especially for the listeners who see the vocals as more of an instrument and aren't really that concerned with what is being sung; but for me this aspect got to be distracting.
When the mix also partially hides drums, keyboards and solo guitar parts at times, it is even more of a distraction. The different elements in the composition basically seem to be unbalanced in the mix, and the overall sound comes across as slightly fuzzy or murky as well. The soundscape is more of porridge than a finely woven creation, basically. So even though I like this kind of music, and I see the potential and the talent, the production and the mix on this release leaves a bit to be desired for me personally. In many ways, this album reminds me of the demo tapes made by artists in the old days; the sound quality and production is slightly better than those were, but even releases from small independent labels will usually have better mix and production than this one.
I have no problems recommending this release to fans of ambient, mellow progressive rock with a distinct new age twist to it. And if anyone thinks the style sounds interesting, this band is good at what they do. But if you have a need for really high quality production as well, this release may not be to your liking. To get an impression, take a listen at the band’s myspace page; the songs available there should give a good impression of the band’s sound and style overall."
Review by Olav Bjornsen on July 3, 2008 - www.usaprogmusic.com
The following review is in Italian. If anyone can provide us with a good translation, we would highly appreciate it!
"Terzo disco per i texani Subject To Thoughts, band di due elementi nata come progetto solista di Mark Mendieta nel 1999. 'From Sunrise To Sunset' è la terza parte di una quadrilogia ideata da Mark e che inizia dove il precedente platter 'To Embrace The Light' si era fermato.
La musica proposta è un rock di stampo dark: i riferimenti sono a band quali Dream Theater, My Dying Bride, Katatonia, Anekdoten ed Enchant. Undici canzoni, per un totale di 76 minuti, dipaneranno il tema portante dell'album, che è la ricerca di risposte nella vita.
Il difetto principale del platter è, a mio avviso, l'eccessiva monoliticità: il disco scorre sì ma su binari troppo standard e prefissati, senza che ci sia un sussulto nè un cambio di ritmo che tenda a vivacizzare il tutto. Volendo essere pignoli di progressivo non c'è poi molto, visto che mancano quasi interamente le peculiarità del genere. Le undici tracce risultano essere un sussurro di dolore, che mai diventa un grido: una litania oscura e lenta, che potrebbe far felici i fans del lato dark del rock.
La produzione è buona e la presentazione del prodotto è discreta, con una cover che, a mio parere, cattura in modo perfetto le atmosfere del cd. In definitiva Mark e Brandon hanno dato alla luce un platter onesto, che non passerà alla storia ma che potrebbe piacere agli amanti delle atmosfere plumbee e malate.
Oscuro, lento ed inevitabile come il destino..."
Review by Fabio on June 19th, 2008 - hardsounds.it
The following review is in Spanish. If anyone can provide us with a good translation, we would highly appreciate it!
"A unas tres horas de donde escribimos, en Brownsville, TX, Mark Mendieta sacó el año pasado el tercer disco en una entrega de cuatro álbumes en un concepto que terminará con The Culmination y proyecto que llama Subject To Thoughts y que en esta ocasión se acompaña de Brandon Strader sólo para la voz principal y los solos de guitarra.
Personalmente no había escuchado su material anterior, por lo que de mi parte no podría haber comparaciones, aunque dandome algunas vueltas por la red, parece que el concepto mejora con esta tercera entrega. Vamos pues a revisar lo que escuchamos durante unas semanas.
El álbum arranca con la homónima From Sunrise To Sunset, con un beat bastante letárgico que es ayudado por las voces para generar un mood lento durante casi 12 minutos que incluye pocos cambios en la estructura, aunque se alcanza a notar un tono progresivo en lo que hace la banda (curiosa selección para el track de entrada, dado que no puedo decir que sea el que despide más energía), sin embargo el mood oscuro y en lamento, así como algo que me cuesta explicar y que pueden ser todos los fondos de teclados y un par de cosas que hacen la guitarra en los solos, además de algunos cambios durante los 12 minutos, son razón suficiente para despertar la curiosidad y seguir escuchando.
Staring Into The Sky arranca más contundente, lleno de sonidos sintéticos que mandan el track por momentos cerca de un ambient-new age-electrónica, entrando luego la voz suave, (a veces por el procesamiento se llega a escuchar desganada), llena de ecos en un tono que baja la agresividad inicial del track que, al igual que el inicial, te mantiene atento hasta que llega un cambio que se antoja brusco, como mínimo sorpresivo, después del silencio, un cambio finalmente pero el primero de varios en otros tracks que o bien se convertirán en un sello a asimilar por quienes sigamos a la banda o bien tendrán que trabajar más en lograr…
El mismo mood se hereda a The Light Seen, más pausada, casi en drone, con un cambio a mitad del track que funciona bastante mejor que en el anterior track, levantando el ánimo tanto en la canción como -diría yo- en todo el disco: llenando de guitarras y distorsión y animando el track, mientras teclados y sonido de piano eléctrico atrás mantienen el beat a lo largo de este segundo movimiento.
Uno de los tracks que más disfruté, lleno de teclados y guitarras saturadas (que no necesariamente distorsionadas) fué A Sign In Belief, donde el mood es bastante más alegre, llevados mucho por el beat de la sección rítmica que, sin ser acelerado, anima bastante el aura del disco y de nuevo un cambio después de un silencio que funciona, sin embargo existe otro cerca del minuto 4:30 que parece que le falta pueda embonarse mejor a la canción y hasta desorienta… en un track completamente instrumental.
Por cierto habrá que decir que el sonido en el álbum aunque se nota el esfuerzo por mantenerlo razonablemente bien cuidado (cosa que en lo general se logra), en varios momentos se alcanza a notar su manufactura casera, dejándonos en ciertas partes ese sonido que si se trabajase más, ayudaría disfrutar mejor el disco.
Con toques lejanos de psicodelia y de nuevo con un tiempo más pausado, las voces que se arrastran, The Peaceful Serenade, podría parecer que es con el tipo de track con el que la banda se siente más a gusto… un bajo lento con sonidos de piano y guitarras saturadas que se oyen bastante bien.
El disco continúa con un vaivén de tracks que aceleran más o menos el beat, dentro de un mismo esquema con algunos chispazos de genialidad dentro de las transiciones en los cambios de cada track (Closer To Salvation, que es uno de los tracks quizá más progresivos). El mood, composición y ejecución, sin embargo se reconoce ya, se reinterpreta y, en ocasiones, podría estarse repitiendo de más… parecería que los músicos se autolimitasen a momentos (y no lo deben hacer: pasajes como el inicio de Into The Horizon lo muestran, pueden moverse en otras direcciones dentro del estilo ya impuesto).
El disco cierra con un track "suave" con sonidos de piano y fondos llenos de sintetizadores…. bueno, su "balada" que después del primer cambio se crece y acelera, dejando buen sabor de boca de lo que podrá hacer la banda cuidando algunas cosas. Desafortunadamente tuve problemas al escucharlo tanto en la computadora como en el estéreo… se cortó unas cuantas veces….
Este proyecto tiene potencial, entra en espacios que no son utilizados frecuentemente. Habrá que trabajar en pulir aún más el sonido y quizá (eso se lo dejamos obviamente a la banda) en algunos aspectos de la composición. Por lo pronto seguiremos esperando The Culmination y, con suerte, un quinto disco ya fuera del conecpto."
Review by Ciro Velázquez on May 31st, 2008 - eufonia.wordpress.com
"From Sunrise to Sunset by Subject to Thoughts is a musical project realized by a duo. Mark Mendieta as a multi instrumentalist occupies most of the soundscape. For me, his keys ( synths, mellotron or piano) are the highlight of this CD. He is aided and accompanied by Brandon Strader for the guitar solos: both sing adequately. Their musical style could be qualified a neo progressive rock, bordering on mellow symphonic prog. The musicianship is fine, but I’m wondering what a complete band could have done with this interesting music. The only flaw I hear is the recording, which seems a little amateurish. The mix doesn’t sound right at certain times. The jacket cover is a magnificent sunset which renders really well the title track.
My favourite’s pieces are "From Sunrise to Sunset", which is a strong beginning, I particularly love the ambient keys, "Staring into the Sky", "The Light Seen" which contains a good guitar solo, "Whisper", "Into the Horizon" which is more upbeat, "Beneath the Questions" which is for me the best piece and "Revelation to the Answer".
If you like your prog ambient and mellow, this band may be for you. It will be interesting to see their evolution."
Review on April 7th, 2008 - www.proggnosis.com
"It’s been two years since I’ve had the opportunity to listen to new material from Subject to Thoughts, the band formed by Mark Mendietta to release his compositions. Mendietta is joined on this latest release by Pennsylvania based singer/guitarist Brandon Strader, whose solos add a new instrumental voice to the mix while his vocals greatly strengthen the weakest link in the band’s mix.
From Sunrise to Sunset is the third part in a lengthy concept piece. Carrying on from 2005’s From Emptiness to Beyond and 2006’s To Embrace the Light, From Sunrise to Sunset sees many of the band’s stylistic influences remaining intact (Dream Theater, Opeth, Katatonia and My Dying Bride) while adding in sounds that seem more typical of the post-rock genre. It may be trendy to make comparisons to groups like Radiohead (especially as Radiohead is a commercially successful group, and a darling of the underground and progressive music scenes despite this success), but there are a number of moments throughout this release that would not sound out of place on a Radiohead release like Kid A or Amnesiac. Mendietta’s compositions retain their moody, dark feel while adding in more electronic elements that weren’t as prevalent on earlier releases.
From Sunrise to Sunset opens with the album’s title track. It is also the longest piece on this album, clocking in at just under twelve minutes (the ten other tracks on the album range from four and a half minutes to just over nine minutes). I’m struck right from the opening by the changes in the band, as layered vocals work particularly well from the opening moments of this piece. A short vocal section gives way to a particularly nice little guitar solo, and it’s obvious that things have changed in the world of Subject to Thoughts. This is the sound of a band that has grown and matured from release to release, and the growth and evolution in playing, arranging, and singing, is shown off here in a particularly strong manner. This is followed by “Staring Into the Sky,” a deceptive title judging by the dark opening section. Instrumentally, this would not sound out of place as soundtrack music for a TV series like Tales from the Darkside (and lest anyone thing I am being sarcastic, let me say that particular TV series was one of my ‘must see’ shows of its era), while vocals continue to be stronger than on past releases.
The Radiohead influence I mentioned earlier comes to the fore a bit on “The Light Seen,” which to my ears sounds like a heavier cousin of songs like “How to Disappear Completely.” “A Sign in Belief” opens with a quick snare rhythm, which leads into thick, overdriven arpeggios and quietly pulsing bass guitar. As a whole this piece may be one of the brightest on the album, and even at that, there’s a palpable darkness pulsing like a heart at the center of this song. I’m not sure that “The Peaceful Serenade” is actually a serenade, yet musically it’s nicely restrained and preciously constructed, while the inclusion of spoken vocals barely rising above the music adds a touch of spookiness that only increases the musical tension. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t single out the opening of “Whisper” for attention, with an ominous single bass note growling like some primordial beast under some of the most ludicly dark music on this release.
The long instrumental ride-out on “Beneath the Questions,” broken up once by quiet, almost spoken vocals, is one highlight for me. The repetitive backing beat and darkly chiming guitar create a nice foundation for overdriven, fuzzed arpeggios intoning a dark melody. This is followed by the gentle, sparsely orchestrated opening of the album’s final track, “Revelation to the Answer.” The synth flute sounds reasonably natural, soaring over a quiet piano line and additional synth strings. Two minutes in, the mood radically changes, heavy guitars and a stomping beat taking the pace of placid calmness. These mood shifts repeat through the track, keeping the listener involved in the song as it develops and moves forward. It’s a bit of a risky choice as an album closer, but I think it pulls off the task well.
Mix-wise, From Sunrise to Sunset is a bit of a step beyond the band’s previous release as well. While I’ll continue to maintain that there’s less space than I would prefer in the mix, a greater sense of dynamics adds texture and variety to the tracks. Quiet moments sound and feel quiet naturally, allowing heavier sections to sound all the more powerful. Mendietta’s orchestrations also breathe just a touch more. This is definitely a step in the right direction. Likewise, handing over the majority of vocal duties to Brandon Strader really helps; his voice sounds sufficiently world weary and forlorn, matching the morose, somber music particularly well.
Overall, From Sunrise to Sunset is several steps forward and in the right direction, showing a group growing and evolving from release to release. The band’s strengths (solid composition, powerfully evoked mood, excellent instrumental playing) continue to shine, while previously criticised weaknesses have been greatly shored up. While I found myself unable to unequivocally recommend 2006’s To Embrace the Light, I have no issues recommending this newest release. If you like your prog with a slice of darkness on the side, then this is a band well worth checking out. Sample them at their website, then pick up a copy of From Sunrise to Sunset."
Review by Bill Knispel on March 27th, 2008 - www.progscape.com
"I remember reading once where an independent label owner said something like; the best scenario he could see for music was where anyone who wanted to could release some music and anyone who wanted to could hear it and buy it. Well it seems we’re pretty much at that point. That thought struck me while listening to the independently released CDR from the band Subject to Thoughts entitled From Sunrise to Sunset. The band itself started out as a musical project for Mark Mendieta whose released a few earlier recordings, at first on cassette and then CD. From Sunrise to Sunset is the third installment of his four part vision. His earlier work was strictly instrumental but this time around he’s added Brandon Strader on vocals and guitar.
The music of Subject to Thoughts is described in the promo material as being influenced by bands such as Dream Theater, Enchant and Anekdoten and that may be the case but it doesn’t sound like those bands at all. In fact the sound isn’t derivative of anyone as far as I can hear. The music crafted here is more subdued, lower-key, and more minor-key. There is a kind of solo, multi-instrumentalist feel to the project, mainly because that’s what it is, but the actual songs are quite well developed. And while some may quibble over the drum-machine style it seems to fit the music quite well. The disc From Sunrise to Sunset features 11 tracks with the longest being the title track at 11:53 and most of the rest in the 6-minute range. Stylistically they label themselves as ‘dark melodic progressive rock’ and for the most part that’s a pretty descriptive label. Their compositions are longer with layers of droning synths performing the role of strings or other atmospheric sounds, while the guitars punctuate the musical proceedings from time to time without ever overpowering the sound. There is a definite sense of foreboding that permeates most of the tracks, which are mostly mid-tempo. Sound-wise the music here is quite spacious, there’s lots of room to breathe and this may in fact reflect a kind of New Age influence, although it must be said there’s a little too much going on with the arrangements for that to be a negative. Strader’s vocals will take some getting used to as they’re delivered in a melancholy, almost pleading and mournful fashion. The lyrical theme of From Sunrise to Sunset revolves around trying to find the answers to life and in that sense the vocal style seems all the more intentional. But perhaps because of such a distinctive vocal approach there is a feeling of similarity that rears its ugly head for the last half of the disc. The compositions tend to lose their uniqueness and start to blend in to each other. Still that’s hardly an insurmountable challenge.
As far as home-made projects go, Subject to Thoughts gets high marks in my book. Here’s a guy who has a desire to play music and he’s doing it. Not just talking about it but actually creating it. I think that’s great. My guess the work of Mark Mendieta is only going to get better. If you’re looking for new music in the prog field, you could do worse than take a chance on Subject to Thoughts. We’ll be watching for future projects from these guys."
Review by Jerry Lucky in 2008 - www.jerrylucky.com
"The latest album from Subject To Thoughts ‘From Sunrise To Sunset’ is a nice improvement over the last one “To Embrace The Light” in the vocal department. The music is basically the same. A somber sometimes droning like progressive metal. The album is probably the last chapter of the story created by Mark Mendieta, the main person behind Subject To Thoughts project. I’m not sure of the story but the music provides a very dark gothic soundscape, sometimes on the depressing side.
New to Subject To Thoughts is a lead vocalist/guitarist Brandon Strader who’s voice makes the whole album sound better than with Mark singing lead. I still think they have a way to go before perfecting the sound. I really think if the compositions were tighter and not so repetitive, Subject To Thoughts will be very successful with the prog-metal genre. "From Sunrise to Sunset" album, to my ears has so much potential. I can hear what the band is going for sound wise, maybe they need some outside editing, I can’t say.
In closing, while ‘From Sunrise To Set’ is a step up from the last release, ’To Embrace The Light’, it’s still lacking something. I did however find it enjoyable and can’t wait to hear more from Subject To Thoughts."
Review by Ron Fuchs on January 12th, 2007 - www.prognaut.com
"This is the latest album from the U.S. melancholic progressive metal group. What I've heard about this album is probably the last chapter of the story and testimony by Mark Mendieta who is responsible for this Subject To Thoughts project. Until last three previous albums, this project is mainly driven by Mark's own performance. However, this album features a lead vocalist/guitarist Brandon Strader who has a pleasant and clean singing performance. Mark used to sing lead vocal parts mainly before, but he sincerely gave a great chance to a new member Brandon singing entirely on new works. Mark's melancholic and somber singing approach might be a matter of taste for some listeners, but I kind of miss his own feeling and sad expression. Anyway, the main melodic lines of vocal sections could be directed by Mark for a new singer. I think it works out pretty well in this new format of Subject To Thoughts. In this way, they have much potential to appeal to new audience.
Musically, they stay in the similar melancholic flavor and line of what they have achieved on "From Emptiness to Beyond" and "To Embrace The Light". What this album amuses me is that they've challenged some new approach and different musical performance. Esp., the keyboard parts and synth lines are quite effective to dramatize the music with occasional hard guitar passages and lines. In addition, the rhythmic parts are getting more lively and vivid than previous works. That is another big plus point for their improvement on this new album. I am sure that they carefully construct more dynamic and interesting sections, comparing to their other works. Due to lyrical themes and climax points within the journey of Mark's own realization, "From Sunrise to Sunset" album contains lots of emotional rollercoaster rides. Effectively and successfully, it shows some interesting musical ideas and performance everywhere. To my ears, I could find their sincere hard works and good job on some vividly exciting instrumentation and songs.
On the other hand, I do not deny that some critical listeners might find some repeated phrases and similar sounding moments and atmospheres to interrupt enjoyments to listen to this album. To my personal thoughts on this album, I would like to congratulate Mark's new works with his new friend Brandon Strader, because Subject To Thoughts has got something new direction and exciting approach between melancholic atmospheres and some kind of promising moods. Maybe, this project needs to update sound gears or engineering punch to be added to improve production wise for grabbing critical thinking progressive metal/rock fans. So far, "From Sunrise to Sunset" album has most cohesive and powerful somber progressive metal works ever in their career. Once again, congrats for your another new achievement. Keep up a good work for both music making and sound engineering. If you are interested in Subject To Thoughts music, I recommend that you need to give a chance to this album at first. :-)"
Review by Tetsu Hamanaka on December 12th, 2007 - www.hamanaka.com/pilgrim2/pweng.htm
"When you are listening to this kind of "dark melodic progressive rock," you have to expect some drawn out, heavily conceptual, and very expansive detailed songs. We have it here. The first song alone clocks in at nearly 12 minutes.This is very trippy, deeply atmospheric, etherial, nearly somatic stuff. This is like a daydream set to music. This is like an astral projection soundtrack. You can't walk your way through this type of album, you have to lay back and let the album take yhou where it wants to go. It takes some patience. Your typical 10 second attention span teenie-bopper is not going to have what it takes to even get in the frame of mind for this brain expanding experience.
For the professional, this CD also stands as a lesson for the songwriter who wants to communicate through their musc rather than just banging it out for the people looking for a single. There is no hit here. The whole album is a important. Listening to one song would be like watching the middle segment of a movie trilogy without any interest in the beginning or the end. True, this isn't the toughest thing I've listened to today. Man does not live by brutal death metal alone. Hell, some of this is near new-age, at least ambient synthesizer wash. The thing is, it is blended subtly in with wonderful rock music. Subject To Thoughts satisfies my need for art and structural creativity in music."
Reviewed by Neo-Zine on November 21st, 2007 - www.myspace.com/neozine
"From Sunrise To Sunset is a step forward for Subject To Thoughts compared to their two previous efforts. The songs are better, the performances also and the singing has changed a lot... and in a positive manner.
This being said, I still have trouble getting into Subject To Thoughts. I find most of the pieces to long and repetitive. There is also a sameness in many of the compositions.
Still, From Sunrise To Sunset is a move forward for this band and if you enjoyed their previous albums, this one should be to your taste. Fans of the mellower side of Hogarth led Marillion should also find something to their liking in From Sunrise To Sunset."
Reviewed by Marc on September 24th, 2007 - www.proggnosis.com
"Subject To Thoughts is a prog rock duo from Brownsville, Texas, Their latest release, From Sunrise to Sunset, is nearly 80 minutes of dark, dense, often atmospheric prog, filled with extended instrumental passages and soundscapes, yearning vocals, and lush melodies. The band, made up of Mark Mendicta (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, backing vocals) and Brandon Strader (lead vocals, guitar solos), list their influences as Dream Theater, My Dying Bride, Anekdoten, Enchant, and Katatonia, but you can also hear a little Porcupine Tree, Anathema, and Marillion at times as well.
This is pretty moody stuff, and for the most part the songs tend to stay stuck in a similar range and tempo, rarely does the band break out and knock your socks off. Tunes like "A Sign in Belief", "Closer to Salvation", "Into the Horizon", and the 12 minute title track, all show glimpses of the talent and desire that these two have, but the problem is that most of the songs tend to be very lengthy, and simply meander way too much. The most exciting song here, "The Morning Emerges", sees the band finally kicking it up a notch, as they flex their muscles a bit and really give you something to chew on.
For the most part, their hearts are in the right place, and you can see that Mark & Brandon really want to come up with some relevant and enjoyable prog here, but they just haven't yet figured out the knack for creating songs that reel you in and keep you held hostage. Many of the songs are too long and feature instrumental passages that are too repetitive and just drift on endlessly. All the tools are here guys, just reign in your desire for 'epic-ness' and try and write some songs that will be catchier from both a vocal and musical perspective, and then you'll be on the right track."
Reviewed by Pete Pardo on August 16th, 2007 - www.seaoftranquility.com
"This was a very haunting type of release. This one bounces around quite a bit mind you. This dark moody rock/metal that is almost doomy in spots too. This is a two man project and thes guys can really suck you into a mood and style and nail you with it. This is only $ 2 damn dollars so email them and buy this dammit. This new CD features new member Brandon Strader."
Reviewed by Chris Forbes on July 31, 2007 - www.metalcorefanzine.com
To Embrace the Light Reviews
"What A unique and interesting body of work we have here. This is very intelligent and thoughful sounding rock, with lavish progressive songwriting and lush ambient moodiness. I look at the CD cover, and it it is a photo of a blue sky with some dark clouds. That hits the nail on the head. Much of this is wonderfully calm and reflective music that really works in a relaxing and medatative sort of way, but there is also that black cloud lurking in the distance that adds a depressive, apprehensive, or sombre mood. This isn't dark music, but it is certainly "tinted." There are nice meandering guitars, cool synthesized keyboard effects and cultivated sounding clean piano pieces. The vocalsit has a deep and serene voice which is a little bit smokey and mysterious. The entire recording is a concept album dealiing with life and the "perception of life once the light was seen." Titles contain words like "light, soul, hope, destiny, theory, reality, mind, and dreaming." Yea, they are loaded words, and these are loaded songs. It is a loaded recording. It is heavy topic wise, but it also tries to be light and whipery musically to balance things. This recording is pretty heady, and I wouldn't want to try to listen to it at the wroing time. You certainly would want to be in the right place, with time to relax and concentrate. If you want backgground music, turn on the radio to any station. If you want to hear something pertinent and rewarding, I recommend that you take the "Subject To Thoughts" challenge."
Review by Neo-Zine on May 2nd, 2007 - www.myspace.com/neozine
" Demo Cds are always a hard thing to review, mainly because they’re not the finished product. I received a demo To Embrace the Light (the second demo release) from the one man band, Subject to Thoughts a.k.a. Mark Mendieta in the mail and took a listen.
My first impression was lackluster and I put it aside until now. The music combined elements of gothic rock with some small hints of progressive metal. Mark claims his influences come from bands like Dream Theater, Opeth, Katatonia and My Dying Bride. I can’t comment on the last two since I never heard them but the first two give a small idea of the music even though lacking the power and intensity.
To Embrace the Light has the potential to be something big but being a demo, it lacks strength even in the somber vibe The vocals are less than noteworthy. I do believe the compositions are the strong point over all. Maybe if Mark assembled a band with a vocalist, the music will be good enough to be a full release.
Unless he does a better production on any future releases, I fear his music won’t see the light of day outside small circles. I will however will keep an eye out for more stuff, hopefully he’ll improve and show more strengths next demo, or better yet a debut!"
Review by Ron Fuchs on February 28th, 2007 - www.prognaut.com
"I think you might have already seen the review of Mark Mendieta's previous demo cd entitled 'From Emptiness and Beyond'. It has really strong somber atmospheres and moody prog metal sounds. On this new demo cd bordering on both prog rock and prog metal sides, he mentioned that this is another concept story about his reflections of thoughts and what he has gone through in his life. I would say that this has shown some interesting instrumentation, esp., on first three tracks that sound very interesting. Again, 'To Embrace The Light' album continues dominating his somber and melancholic flavors, yet the subject itself has slightly more hope and passion through his journey of new realization. Some instrumental sections have quite energetic and more intense elements than his previous album that I really enjoyed. I think he seems to enjoy looping and performing sequential guitar rhythm patterns by his own hands once again; it sounds really effective and more attractive than his previous works in my honest opinion. What amuses me more is really effective synth/keyboard arrangement and sound patches that also are big plus to my ears. His vocal performance is more like soft-spoken and somewhat very moody again. In my thoughts, he's really good at pouring out his deep feelings inside him to share through music. Just like what I have said on my website, his new music is not a kind of music to appeal to everybody. It depends on what listner finds out something clicks from his music. Some people might point out the production that seems to be a little bit weak side and suffering, however I do not agree with them in certain points. His music contents are good enough to get into his music in detail; nothing to destract from what he wants to express with his messages and moody prog metal instrumentation. I guess it's really hard to keep up making your own music by yourself; it means that you have to prepare everything basically, so I understand he has had some difficult experiences to put together cohesively with relatively decent sounds. I admire and respect Mark Mendieta's honest spirits toward music and esp., lyrical themes and thought-provoking messages that have a good chance to move someone who has had a similar soul-seaching experiences. I believe that some people would get deeply moved by his new music. This is another monumental musical work for Mark.
Review by Tetsu Hamanaka on October 20th, 2006 - www.hamanaka.com/pilgrim2/pweng.htm
"To Embrace The Light is very much the companion to Subject To Thoughts' previous album (see my other review).
If you are into emotional Neo-Prog in the vein of recent Marillion or Talk Talk you should check Subject To Thoughts out. There are some music samples available on Myspace.com to make an idea for yourself."
Review by Marc on October 31st, 2006 - www.proggnosis.com
"Subject to Thoughts is Mark Mendieta’s outlet for his compositions and recordings. Stylistically he claims influences from such disparate bands as Dream Theater, Opeth, Katatonia and My Dying Bride; his music is a slow somber affair with an emphasis on mood and texture over vocal or instrumental showboating. To Embrace the Light is Subject to Thoughts/Mendieta’s second demo.
To Embrace the Light has all the hallmarks of a self-recorded demo: the recording lacks some presence and depth, with a fairly narrow, shallow sound field. The material is often a melange of sound, a wall of unrelenting drear that makes it difficult to pick out individual instruments. Additionally, Mendieta’s vocals are not particularly strong; while I certainly could not hear this material being sung by someone like Aaron Stainthorpe or James LaBrie (to select singers from My Dying Bride and Dream Theater, two of the bands Mendieta lists as influences), a stronger vocal presence would sell me more on the material being presented.
There’s some strong stuff here; Mendieta is a solid songwriter with a panache for creating a dark mood without resorting to cliche. Tracks like the opening title track (“To Embrace the Light”) and “Through This Looking Glass” are well composed pieces of music, and the occasional use of spoken word adds to the mood and feel Mendieta was looking for. Sadly, the lo-fi production really weakens the package; better production values and stronger vocals would improve things all the more.
As it stands, To Embrace The Light’s weaknesses keep me from recommending this release unequivocally."
Review by Bill Knispel on October 19th, 2006 - www.progscape.com
"This is a one man band with a 13 song disc that I got in the mail. The music is very moody with lots of atmospheric parts and haunting parts. I thought this was really cool for what it is and the you can just hear the passion and emotion in the guy's voice and just the way the music is played. This is not for the fan of Cannibal Corpse, but for somebody who is open minded and into atmospheric style stuff played with emotion and passion and at $2 it is a steal."
Review by Chris Forbes on October 15th, 2006 - www.metalcorefanzine.com
"Mark Mendieta is at it again with his fourth full-length demo with Subject To Thoughts, entitled To Embrace The Light. Firstly, it's a shame that StT can produce four full-length progressive conceptual demos without getting a huge mass of attention and - of course - a large chunk of success and a bit of riches. Secondly, To Embrace The Light indeed follows Subject To Thoughts's trend of releasing high-quality progressive music.
To Embrace The Light, the second installment in a four-part conceptual vision beginning with From Emptiness To Beyond, deals with Mendieta's personal perceptions of existence. The flow and mood of the music follows that vibe, as at one moment it may be uplifting and very pleasant but then seemlessly fade into a darker, more chaotic sound. Mendieta's ability to express emotions and create such atmospheres is stunning, and must be heard by anyone who claims to be a fan of (dark) progressive rock!
Possibly the most impressive thing about Subject To Thoughts's work is that Mendieta plays everything through his keyboard. Yes, the electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and even all the percussion is played through his keyboard! The timing is astounding, and the sound is nearly perfected. Of course this is still a self-produced demo, so the overall sound is a bit quiet, but everything seems to be mixed to the right place and everything is audible. There also seems to be a bit more confidence in the vocal performance and more dynamics, which is also good. Some spoken dialogue here and there adds a nice touch.
To Embrace The Light is a brilliant addition to Subject To Thoughts's ongoing musical vision. Let's hope a label decides to pick up this project so we can see some professional studio sound and everyone would be able to get a remastered copy of the full-lengths...."
Review by Brandon Strader on August 3rd, 2006 - www.ultimatemetal.com
"This is a kind of single man's progressive metal group from United States. Subject to Thoughts is led by a multi-instrumentalist Mark Mendieta, who performs all vocals, guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards. Of course, all songs are written, produced, and mixed by Mark himself. You would imagine that he took time to put all music really carefully. Ambitiously, 'From Emptiness to Beyond' has a long epic flow dealing with his philosophical concept about some sort of emotional movements like horrowness and sorrowness inside of the human being. I could guess that the theme throughout the album is a kind of journey of realization, if I am allowed to speculate the concept of this cd freely. Stylistically, the music of Subject to Thoughts on this cd remind me of Fates Warning's prog metal classic 'A Pleasant Shade of Grey'. Somewhat, his music goes into very dark and melancholic, due to the theme and lyrics on each song. Obviously, Mark puts the emphasis on melancholic flavored complex flows and accessible instrumentation over irrelevant complexity and mind-boggling chops not to get lost in the middle of your listening. You could divide into two parts of 'From Emptiness to Beyond' (wow, what a deep philosophical title this is!!): One is the theme dealing with Emptiness; Another part is focused on beyond human comprehension and imagination...perhaps, leading to an ultimate tranquility, well who knows? :-). Indeed, it's a quite long demanding progressive metal epic extravaganzza to dive into. Therefore, you are asked to give more than a few listens to enjoy the music of Mark Mendieta, but these subsequent listens help you to open the door of innerself, per se. . What I am impressed with his works on his music is that he is really good at expressing his inner-thoughts and deep emotion with somewhat gloomy, yet transcendent prog metal instrumentation. It might not appeal to all metal and rock listeners, but if you are looking for the music which has challenging theme and thought-provoking approach, then you give a chance to Subject To Thoughts's album. This is a quite unusual independent progressive metal music I have heard this year."
Review by Tetsu Hamanaka on July 24th, 2006 - www.hamanaka.com/pilgrim2/pweng.htm
From Emptiness to Beyond Reviews
"The CD begins with a very dark introduction in "Trails of the Untold" . The music here is very climatic with guitars that sometimes are clean and other times have a little more distortion and with a lot of keyboards. The fundamental thing here is to give a feeling of dark melancholy and the voice of Mark Mendieta is fundamental for this because it is a sad voice with a deep feeling. It has tracks that are long like "The Sense of Discontent" that lasts 7 minutes with 40 or "Secret within the secret" that is 9 minutes 40, and this gives much space for the keyboard player, Mark Mendieta since he is the one that does everything here, to develop all the ideas that he wants to develop and to obtain different ways to communicate the melancholy and sadness that have the compositions. The guitars are somewhat intermediate between clean and distorted. The distortion is not too heavy but rather gives an energetic touch to music. It is as if a valvular amplifier had been set to a high level that distorts enough. The drums seem programmed or with a similar sound. The sound is crude, is deep and allows to transmit the feelings that Mendieta wants. I would mix just a little bit louder the keyboards in some parts because they are a little buried by the guitar. A recording with pure darkness and melancholy."
Review by Federico Marongiu in May of 2006 - www.musicextreme.com
"Really mellow progressive like music is the ticket here. The band has a raw ambient sound that sucks you in deep and never lets you go. The music might be really mellow and the like, but I enjoyed it and this was different to me."
Review by Chris Forbes on June 15th, 2006 - www.metalcorefanzine.com
"It's hard to believe that this epic concept was completely written, performed, and brought to life by just one man: Mark Mendieta, who alone recorded the vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards. Functioning within the realm of dark progressive rock, he has already managed to surpass many of his musical peers. There is also a subtle touch of doom song structure throughout. His compositions are beautiful, from the passionately pressed piano keys, to the acoustic passages coated with a string ensemble...
From Emptiness To Beyond is surprisingly refined, with two parts seperated by a "transition period." The mix is pretty good, though the vocals are mixed a bit too high. Rather than going for the strong vibrato, he performs his vocals with a softer, more emotional vibrato. At times, his vocals seem reminiscent of those in the church choir, with a very innocent sound and a humble performance.
The keyboards, guitars, and bass work perfectly together when Subject to Thoughts dives into a more ambient section. The bass sets the tone, whilst the guitars and keyboards explore the space. The music is very fluid, a combination of work that flows perfectly from song to song.
The transition from major compositions to minor is very effective in displaying emotion. Possibly my only complaint is the percussion sound - it almost sounds like a drum machine, or very low quality triggers. If recorded in a proper studio, From Emptiness To Beyond would be beyond perfect; a masterpeice of conceptual progressive doom."
Review by Brandon Strader on May 25th, 2006 - www.ultimatemetal.com
"One-man projects are by their very nature, one could say, forms of self-indulgence. That's not necessarily a bad thing, of course, as any Dan Swanö fan will attest. The self-indulgence becomes magnified when a solo recording is of epic length and based on a very personal concept. Such is the case with the Texan one-man project Subject to Thoughts' From Emptiness to Beyond, which recounts the artist's internal journey from "pain, sorrow, and other negative aspects" of his life to a "search for sense," and ultimately "seeing the light." Described as "Dark Progressive Rock with a New Age mood," this is the third demo by Subject to Thoughts, but the first in a CD format. The recording quality is decent, though a little flat, and the instrumentation varied: keyboards, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and drum machine. Although the stated influences for his music--Dream Theater, My Dying Bride, Anekdoten, and Katatonia--can be heard to varying degrees on From Emptiness to Beyond, Subject to Thoughts (not surprisingly) doesn't approach the heaviness of those bands, and the album's darkness is more depressive than ominous.
Much of the progressiveness is in the form of sudden changes in speed or instrumentation: string sounds in the overture-like opening of "Trails of the Untold" followed by simple piano; the atmospheric sounds of gushing water and a tolling bell to start "Drowning In," switching to guitars and percussion; guitar near the end of "Feelings of Sorrow" changing to piano edged by an electronic buzz, one of the more startling shifts due to a preceding brief silence. Somewhat masking the degree of variation on From Emptiness to Beyond is the fact that many of the changes involve going from one repetitious part to another, giving more of an impression of monotony than the album perhaps has. This is especially noticeable in "The Essence of Perception," whose last 3 - 4 minutes are a series of similar-sounding segments, each lasting approximately 30 seconds, with an especially repetitious concluding section that goes on for about one minute.
Some of the patterns do remind me of the small amount of Anekdoten I've heard, but too often Subject to Thoughts crosses that delicate boundary between hypnotic and boring or annoying, especially when the music is too fast and "busy," as in the middle part of "Feelings of Sorrow and/or when the piano and certain of the drum sounds are featured prominently. The piano does, indeed, dominate the album, and I find the string sounds, like those heard in the aforementioned beginning of "Trails of the Untold" and in "Transition," and some of the guitar parts more enjoyable, all adding to the album's dark tones and mounfulness. In general, the keyboards work better for me as accents in the guitar-oriented passages, but this is, of course, a matter of personal taste. The drum machine, with all the attendant drawbacks, is less likely to find favor with most listeners. Although some of the sounds, like the double bass, are not bad, the synthetic cymbals and a clip-clop tone--both used incessantly at certain points on this album, often simultaneously--are rather irritating, extremely so in that final minute of "The Essence of Perception" and at the end of "Words of Meaning," where the cymbals are especially loud.
Representing a greater detraction are the vocals, which are, I'm sorry to say, feeble in both senses of the word: lacking in vigor--intentionally, perhaps, so as to convey pain and despair--and inadequate. The voice is like that of a more wavery, underwater or mortally wounded version of Cat Stevens. While it is understandable that Subject to Thoughts would want to express the album's theme lyrically, he might have been better off restricting himself to spoken parts (which crop up here and there), importing another singer, or else letting the music do the talking. It is, in fact, difficult to understand quite a lot of the lines due to the mewling quality of the voice, which kind of defeats the purpose, besides challenging the tolerance even of those who favor light, gentle vocals.
Between the singing and some of the drum machine sounds, the pleasure factor becomes strained over the quite lengthy duration of this album, while the music's limited imaginativeness and inventiveness aren't enough to sustain interest for that period. I applaud anyone ambitious enough to create a totally solo recording, and have heard many impressive, low-budget efforts, especially of the ambient variety. But the key to doing it successfully is, of course, to go with your strengths, and I hope Subject to Thoughts will explore the creative possibilities with his."
Review by Maud on May 19th, 2006 - www.tartareandesire.com
"Some very melodic sometimes dark Symphonic Prog. Mood wise I am reminded of recent Poor Genetic Material but Subject to Thoughts tend use what I would describe as looping chords (let it be noted that I am not a musician), similar to what Steve Rothery and Mark Kelly often did in early nineties Marillion songs. This looping is done basicly in every songs so there is a relative "sameness" to the album from track to track. Another reservation I have with From Emptiness to Beyond is Mark Mendieta's singing. His voice is quite unusual, the closest reference I can find being Talk Talk's Mark Holis. In my opinion it was a "coup de force" to manage to blend Holis' voice with Talk Talk's music. On From Emptiness to Beyond this was not as well attained. Everytime Mark Mendieta starts singing, my attention is immediately drawned to him and away from the music. It's not that he is a bad singer, far from it, but his voice is so unusual that it sounds out of place with the music. Perhaps a different mix, or adding some backing vocals, could solve this problem. For example singers like Mark Holis and Peter Hammill, that have very perticular voices, have managed to fit with their respective groups and even be an asset.
I don't want to make it sound like From Emptiness to Beyond is a bad album. This is not at all the case. Individually the songs are all interesting and Mark Mendieta is a very good musician. In my humble opinion, Subject to Thoughts could very well be a diamond in the rough. Mark Mendieta has loads of potential and his music is very well worth checking out... but there is a little fine tuning to do to make it really shine. "
Review by Marc on May 16th, 2006 - www.proggnosis.com
"Subject to Thoughts is a one-man project by Mark Mendieta from the USA. He plays all instruments from guitars, bass, drums to keyboards and he also does all the vocals. From Emptiness to Beyond is his third demo, but his first time ever he has recorded onto CD format. The music is over 75 minutes and consists of thirteen tracks. This is a concept album broken down into two main parts. The first part From Emptiness deals with "pain, sorrow and other negative aspects" Mendieta has dealt with, while the second part To Beyond, which kicks in after a brief "transition" piece, is about his "search for sense in life, and finally seeing the light". Quite ambitious if you ask me, but what's better is the music.
From Emptiness to Beyond is perfectly decribed as dark progressive rock. The songs often remind me of Kevin Moore's Chroma Key project because of the highly atmospheric songwriting approach and even Mendieta's slowly unfolding vocals. His voice fits the music like a glove; it is dark and has a mournful tone to it. Listening to the fifth track "Drowning In" will change anyone's opinion who may think otherwise. Mendieta delivers the lyrics passionately as if he were lamenting the loss of a loved one. It must be the use of ever-present piano that evokes Chroma Key, but as with every Kevin Moore release, Mendieta's music is overlapping with a multitude of instrumentation. Despite being just a demo, guitars and keyboards are meticulously arranged surrounding Mendieta's sorrowful vocals. Most of the songs seamlessly flow into each other, and the somewhat hissed recording quality eerily helps create a thicker atmosphere. Looped synths, repeated minor key pianos, and minimalistic guitar chords unite in order to form elegiac songs that are coloured with sudden changes of speed and tempo. Though far from being technical, Mendieta's writing shows an undeniable dose of prog background, as he opts for a plethora of styles while developing his craft. Take "The Sense of Discontent" as an example. The song moves from electronic, synth-laden passages to gentle acoustic guitars in the blink of an eye to an ethereal piano interlude that is repeated till the listener is sucked in. The creepy, desolate emotional sphere of the almost 10-minute epic "The Secret Within the Secrets" brings to mind Opeth on such a scale that even Mendieta's voice could be likened to that of Akerfeldt's Blackwater Park onwards.
The album takes a different shape as it nears its end, particularly on the upbeat, almost happy-sounding "With Time, Life Changes", which I assume is about Mendieta finding "the light". The spoken vocals, electronic arrangement and processed vocals all help portray a feeling of relief, all of which is about the reason to make music. I can see later day Tiamat and Katatonia fans enjoying this demo, as well as fans of the already mentioned Chroma Key and even Anekdoten perhaps. All Mendieta needs is a label to sign his project and support him with a better studio production. It could happen soon. "
Review by Murat Batmaz on December 17th, 2005 - www.seaoftranquility.org
The Thought Process Reviews
"Anyone who ever read the liner notes to Pretty Hate Machine knows that Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails. Well, it can be said that Mark Mendieta is Subject to Thoughts. He plays the guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and does all the vocals on this recording. The first demo is called The Thought Process and was provided to me by the man himself.
In the music, a definite sense of Opeth’s softer side is immediatley noticeable. From the ambience that is created, it is clear that they and earlier doom like Black Sabbath, Candlemass and even My Dying Bride are notable influences on the music. It seems that their styles are all somewhat co-opted to form a unique blend of music. “Falling Into” seems to evoke these styles well. The recording is not the best quality sadly. This may be because I was listening to a tape however. The sound quality would probably be much improved if the demo was released on CD. There is no question that it took talent to write this demo however, Mendieta is not a virtuoso on each instrument he plays. I give him credit for being a multi-instrumentalist however should he record again soon, I would advise him to find a different guitar player. His keyboard work, on the other hand is astounding and he should make this even more the centerpiece of his band.
I look forward to hearing from Subject to Thoughts again soon. This is a good demo and only shows flashes of a future of brilliance.
Killing Songs : Falling Into, Remembrance"
Review by Jay on January 2004 - www.metalreviews.com
"Upon first hearing the demo, it was easy to hear the dark influences listed in the bio. Type O Negative comes to mind immediately, although Mark's music is nowhere near as heavy as the band, the darkness and whispering vocals sometimes remind of that band. This is a very dark, sinister, surreal approach to music - combining the darkness of gothic atmospheres with the beauty of New Age influences. The soft acoustic guitars provide the base for the sound, and other electronic sounds and influences fill in the melodies and song structures. The tempos, which are slow and consistent, are provided by a drum machine, and do not follow a constant pattern. Some songs are driven by bass alone, sans drum sounds, which work well.
I would certainly have to disagree with the bio that there are any metal sounds / influences to be found on here, other than some of the vocals, and influences contain some of the listed bands. To these ears, this is soft, Gothic / New Age music, and although the vocals are well done (albeit a bit back in the mix), I imagine a soft, chanting female vocalist out front to provide the added ingredient to make this all come together in sound and style; or at least have the female / male vocals interacting for a more interesting approach. Either way, I would look for this disc in the New Age section, and on the label I would have a sticker describing this as "Dark, Ambient, Gothic New Age." Well done if you like this sort of style, and I'm guessing will sound so much better recorded professionally."
[This review originally appeared at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]
Review by Larry Daglieri in December of 2003 - www.progressiveworld.net
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