Stepping straight out of an LA timewarp, Gemini Syndrome sport eyeliner, funky facial hair and grooves that take their cue from Disturbed, Soilwork, Drowning Pool and Tool as they come bearing the second part of a trilogy that acts as a “reminder of life”.
Whether this means reminding you that you are an old fart because you bought Linkin Park’s first album when it came out is open to debate but any philosophical musings are definitely lost in the quagmire of autotuned, post-nu metal stomp.
On the bright side, when the album doesn’t slip into meandering melodies that lack any guts, there are some nice catchy sojourns that showcase some solid songwriting skills. One of those moments is Sorry Not Sorry, which feels regrettably short but is nonetheless memorable. It’s not a balls-heavy record, nor is it as progressive as the Tool reference would have you expect, but Memento Mori would sit well on radio and in an era steeped in cross-genres and wacky post-tech/djent outcrops it’s good to hear something melodic and nostalgic.
