Review by TheOneNeverSeen on January 1, 2024.

While looking for the original of "We Are Number One" in YouTube Music, I came across Tardigrade Inferno’s cover of that song (that was before I even started listening to metal). That was one of the few times in my life when not finding what I was originally looking for was truly blissful. I wouldn’t say I fell in love with the band instantly, but after a while I’ve decided to listen to more of their music. And the more songs I have listened to, the more I got into the band’s unique and crazy sound. Even now, a year or so after I heard "Mastermind" for the first time, I still adore this album and consider it one of the best metal albums ever made.

First of all, I would like to note the album’s stunning sound. The dirty and powerful yet not too raw guitars alongside the sinister keyboards create an engrossing atmosphere of madness you would expect from a Burton’s movie. Darya’s vocals contribute significantly to this mood. I don’t think there is any vocalist who would perform better on this album than her. Her beautiful, compelling vocals conveying all sorts of emotions are an essential part of Tardigrade Inferno’s sound.

The songwriting is exceptionally appropriate. Not a single song feels too short or too long. Virtually ALL riffs are cool at least and mind-blowing at most (my favorite ones would be the ones of "Hypnosis", "All Pigs Are the Same" and "Mastermind"). The song structure is pretty simple, but the remarkability of the riffs, intros and solos definitely outweighs t. The cover versions of SOAD’s "Marmalade", The Doors’ "Alabama Song" and, obviously, the aforementioned "We Are Number One" fit the album perfectly (back in the day, when I didn’t know the first two were covers (yeah, I used to be veery ignorant, but a lot of stuff has changed since then!), I deemed them awesome and not disrupting the album’s flow at all).

One of my favorite things about Tardigrade Inferno (and this album specifically) is the lyrics. While most of the time they tell creepy and witty stories ("Hypnosis", "All Pigs Are the Same", "Mastermind"), sometimes they focus on darker and more global themes. I absolutely love the lyrics and message of "Dreadful Song" and the dark concept of "Clown Therapy". "Mastermind" doesn't have any songs with weak or boring lyrics, which is a significant advantage, especially considering the vocals are "clean" most of the time and you can thus appreciate the lyrics as you listen to the album.

Lastly, I would like to compliment the album's astonishing cover artwork. Not only does it generally look awesome and fit the music's mood perfectly, but is also great conceptually. As someone who likes references a lot, I find the idea of merging elements of the singles' covers (you can find them on the band's Bandcamp) into the one of the album is really cool and also unusual.

Long story short, "Mastermind" is (no pun intended) a masterpiece. Not too complex, yet remarkable and outstanding.

Rating: 10 out of 10