Subject to Thoughts is a two-man band from Brownsville, Texas & Weirton, West Virginia. It actually started as a solo project from Mark Mendieta as long ago as 1999, and it was only in 2007 that he was joined by Brandon Strader, who provides lead vocals and guitar solos. There is an almost naïve approach to the sound, as if they have attempted to catch a DIY ethic which is quite different to the norm and makes them stand out from the rest. The first time I played this it put me off and I found that I wasn’t enjoying it very much, and the same goes for the vocal approach, which is unusual in many ways. But, as Mark says, his aim is to produce thought provoking progressive rock music and I found that this album definitely achieved that as I challenged myself to understand what was happening and to get inside the thinking of Mark and Brandon.
The more I played it, the more I got from it, and their doom/acoustic laid-back progressive/new age/metallic approach definitely works. The DIY feel adds to the overall impression, and the end result is something that in many ways is quite simple, but stands up very well indeed against what else is being released in the market, and is better than many. Released in 2010, this their fifth album is certainly interesting, and as I write this in May 2014 I know that the next one will soon be out and I look forward to that with great interest. It is possible to listen to their music at their site, so why not visit www.subjecttothoughts.com and check it out.
