Servant of the Mind - Album Review

I wasn’t anticipating an earth-shattering record from Danish metal juggernaut Volbeat when they announced their newest release, Servant of the Mind. Yeah, the band's 2019 effort Rewind, Replay, Rebound was a step-up from 2016’s Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie, but that’s not saying much, as Seal the Deal was a nose-dive compared to its predecessor, 2013’s Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies. The trajectory for Volbeat’s career was, unfortunately, heading into a realm of pop metal, an oxymoron that gives radios something to play and fans something to complain about (case in point, the above paragraph).

Right from the get-go with Servant of the Mind, though, it’s apparent that Volbeat is redirecting their trajectory.

And Woah.

(Also, before I begin, I’m going to compare every song mentioned in this review to a cocktail for no reason whatsoever. What can I say, I’m a little spontaneous🤪)

Layered with heavy drums and mesmerizing guitar riffs, the leadoff batter “Temple of Ekur” holds the enchanting heaviness that Volbeat tried several times to capture in Seal the Deal but were unable to. Arguably the most well-rounded song Volbeat has opened an album with, and it is merely an appetizer to what’s to expect.

As for the cocktail this song reminds me of… Bold and smooth, difficult to replicate to perfection, “Temple of Ekur” is a classic Old Fashioned if I’ve ever seen one.

Though I love the speedy, sing-a-long rhythms in “Wait a Minute My Girl”, this two-minute track is a drastic shift in tone from the track before. If this appeared as Track 7, maybe it would feel more natural to flow into -- a mere lunch break from the brutality of the tracklist. But who cares, I’m just being nitpicky and you should ignore me. “Wait a Minute My Girl” is dangerously catchy, and you’ll only have to wait two minutes to see why.

This song screams Amaretto Sour with its addicting sweetness and its ability to throw into your body at an alarmingly easy rate. Prepared to be hungover.

“The Sacred Stones” picks back up where “Temple of Ekur” left off. In fact, I’m sure the actual Temple of Ekur contains a sacred stone or two. The two songs could be sacrificial hymns, for all I know, but at least they’re sacrificial hymns that are fun to listen to. This one is a Dark & Stormy due to the intro being so dark and, you guessed it, stormy. Plus, the six-minutes of song that follows will cause you to stumble over your feet and get a DUI.

I could go through every track telling you how heavy it is and assigning it a painful cocktail pun, but I would soon be talking to myself, so let’s skip down to “The Devil Rages On.” Sandwiched between an intro and outro that was apparently crafted in the 1960’s, the heart of the song is lead singer Michael Poulson’s chance to flex his vocal range and his band’s diversity. For years, Poulson has taken pride in being described as the metal reincarnate of Elvis, but he has never showcased a performance that articulates such a claim more than on "The Devil Rages On." Did Poulson maybe oversell the baritone vocals to replicate Elvis’s tone? I would say so if I hadn’t been religiously listening to Volbeat for eight years, at this point. This is simply Poulson’s best performance at what he does best.

With that, this one is a Bloody Mary. There’s so much going on here, and all the elements tied together somehow make since.

“Say No More,” with its combination of a heavy intro chased with an energetic melody, is the epitome of a Volbeat song. I’ll say no more about this one, other than it’s a brisk and delicious espresso martini.

Meanwhile, “Heaven’s Descent” wastes absolutely NO time kicking every ass that its legs can reach. You press play and then immediately get kneed in the crotch. And then you ask them to do it again. One Long Island Iced Tea, please.

Now that we’re texting our ex and throwing up in the bushes, let’s get to the last – and my favorite – track from this album. “Lasse’s Birgitta.” I honestly don’t know what there is to say about this song. Volbeat has attempted songs of this magnitude on every album (i.e. “The Everlasting,” “The Loa’s Crossroad,” “Doc Holliday”). All fantastic songs, but none are set ablaze and torches everything in its path like “Lasse’s Birgitta” does. I'm not sure if there’s a cocktail that can encapsulate how epic this song is, but I’m going with a mojito. Not because I’m a wuss and think mojitos are super strong, but because mojitos are fresh, amazing, and my favorite cocktail.

Damn, there is so much going on in this album, and I didn’t even mention the flawless cover of Metallica’s “Don’t Tread on Me” (there’s also a lot going on in this review, so thank you for sticking around). Servant of the Mind is an album that you would expect from a young, hungry metal band that’s looking to prove something, not from the 20-year veteran Danish metal gods on their eighth album. If anything, this proves that the captivating weight that Volbeat can bring to their music is not only still there, but in full, authoritative force.

Top tracks: Lasse’s Birgitta, Heaven’s Descent, The Devil Rages On

Rating: 9.2 overpriced cocktails at a Danish bar/ 10