Review by Adam M on April 11, 2015.

A heavy sludge ridden atmosphere is conveyed clearly by Minsk. The bleak and oppressive feeling the band conveys on The Crash and the Draw is very similar to what Neurosis did on their much highly touted Through Silver in Blood. The effect is used in a gripping and effective manner that gives the band the standout punch to separate them from the competition.

The mood that this band invokes is one that is very cathartic overall. An apocalyptic atmosphere such as this one would be a perfect complement to the now classic books Swan Song or The Stand. This is certainly a niche that could use filling in metal music at the moment. The quality of this disc doesn’t quite equal the best work of Neurosis, but provides one of the more appealing alternatives for fans of that band at the moment. Songs like The Way is Through are constructed in such a fashion that epitomizes the best of what post-metal has to offer. There are numerous deviations in each song, but they all flow together well as a whole and make for an impressive continuous collection of songs. The power of the tracks draws you in eventually, but it may take a few listens to digest this album properly. As a whole, the album is fairly epic in scale and an impressive accomplishment. A couple of items do hold it back, however. The production isn’t crisp enough to do full justice to the songs. Also, this band could be even more experimental in their approach in the future to avoid sounding similar to their peers.

Still, the music is moving from beginning to end and offers a very chaotic mood for fans looking for this type of sound. Minsk's The Crash and The Draw is altogether an impressive offering of post-metal.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10