Enter Shikari: ‘The Mindsweep’ album review

Rating: 3.5 stars

Almost three years to the day after the release of Enter Shikari’s last full length album release, A Flash Flood Of Colour, comes their highly awaited fourth studio album, The Mindsweep.

Released via Ambush Reality/ Play It Again Sam, the album sees “some of the rawest angriest vocals [we’ve] ever done as well as some of the most dulcet and delicate.”

For the last 12 years, Enter Shikari’s politically-infused lyrics and ambiguous fusion of post hard-core metal and electronica have seen them rise through the ranks to top the UK album charts.

This time around the St Albans four-piece have bought a new dimension to their sound with the incorporation of woodwind and strings, much to the confusion of their die-hard fans.

With Dan Weller in the producing chair yet again and all 12 tracks mixed by Jeremy Wheatley (The Vaccines, Dizzee Rascal, Bon Jovi) we witness the band’s eclectic musical progression.

When asked about his inspiration for the album, frontman Rou Reynolds said: “Melody and aggression will always be an important side of what we do, but with this album there was also a concerted effort to concentrate on texture too.”

The second single on the album, Anaesthetist, sees Rou’s angsty and passionate vocals tackle the UK’s attempts to privatise healthcare. Comparatively, the less chaotic The Last Garrison received mixed reviews for its more subdued tempo.

Defiant yet conflicted; The Mindsweep is questionably Enter Shikari’s best record to date.