Metal Underground.com

There's no denying Mindflow's considerable chops, musically speaking. That said, the Brazilian band's latest album, "With Bare Hands," is a little too glossy, with songwriting that feels a tad generic.

Still, you've got to admire a band that leads with its strengths. In this case, that's the vocals of Danilo Herbert, which feature front and center on tracks like the soaring "Thrust Into This Game" and the blues-infused "Break Me Out." He's got the Geoff Tate thing going on, with considerable range.

Guitarist Rodrigo Hidalgo contributes scorching solos to "Break Me Out," "Instinct" and "Thrust Into This Game." It's too bad that feeling isn't replicated in the riffs which, other than the bluesy "Break Me Out" and the speedy opening to "Lethal," aren't particularly memorable, fitting into the Disturbed radio-rock mold.

Amplifying the problem is the fact that the album feels over-produced. The electronic sounds that accompany the verses in "Walking Tall" and "The Ride" and the obvious work done on Herbert's vocals on parts of "Fragile State Of Peace" take away from the impact of the vocals.

Mindflow's "With Bare Hands" is a bit of a 50/50 proposition. On one hand, it's easy to praise Herbert's spectacular vocals and the best moments of Hidalgo's ax-work. On the other, the songwriting tends toward the generic side, and plenty of the tracks are plagued by over-production.