Mnemic was a Danish heavy metal band formed in

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...

in 1998. The band personally described themselves as "Future Fusion Metal". Mnemic have charted in the top 100 in Denmark with ''

The Audio Injected Soul ''The Audio Injected Soul'' is the second album by Danish metal band Mnemic Mnemic was a Danish heavy metal band formed in Aalborg in 1998. The band personally described themselves as "Future Fusion Metal". Mnemic have charted in the top ...

'' and were the first Danish metal band to open the Orange Stage at

Roskilde Festival The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...

in 2004, one of Europe's biggest mainstream festivals. They have worked with Down and

Fugees Fugees (; sometimes The Fugees) is an American hip hop group formed in the early 1990s. Deriving its name from a shortening of the word "refugees", the group consists of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill. The group rose to fame with its ...

producer Warren Riker on the ''

Passenger A passenger (also abbreviated as pax) is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The ...

'' album, collaborated with

Roy Z Roy Z (born February 1968) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Bruce Dickinson (from Iron Maiden), Halford, and Judas Priest. He also is the founder of Tribe of Gypsies, a Latin-influenced har ...

(

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...

and

Bruce Dickinson Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English singer who has been the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1993 and 1999–present. He is known for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stage ...

producer), and were featured on the soundtracks of '' Alone in the Dark'', ''

Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the list ...

'' and '' Nordkraft'' films.

History

Formation and ''Mechanical Spin Phenomena''

Mnemic (the Greek word for "memory" and an acronym for 'Mainly Neurotic Energy Modifying Instant Creation') was formed in the town of Aalborg, Denmark in 1998, by vocalist Mark Bai, guitarist Mircea Gabriel Eftemie, guitarist Rune Stigart, bassist Mikkel Larsen and ex-

Invocator Invocator are a Danish technical thrash metal band featuring Esbjerg-based guitarist/singer Jacob Hansen, founder of the band. They are considered influential on the European thrash metal/heavy metal scene, and known for incorporating element ...

session drummer Brian Rasmussen. Some times later, Bai left the band to pursue other interests and was replaced by Michael Bogballe. The band were signed to

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...

Records, and produced their first album ''

Mechanical Spin Phenomena ''Mechanical Spin Phenomena'' is the debut studio album by the Danish industrial metal band Mnemic, released in 2003. Critical reception Laura Taylor of '' Exclaim!'' said that the album "has an aesthetic of accessibility (perhaps on the Fear ...

'' in 2003 with producer Tue Madsen. After the recording of the album, Larsen was replaced by ex-Grope bassist Tomas "OBeast" Koefoed. The band toured with

Disbelief Disbelief (sometimes decapitalized to "disbelief") is a German heavy metal band from Hesse. Their music is rooted in death metal, but has melancholic tendencies. History The band was formed in 1990, but did not become one solid line-up for ...

Darkane Darkane is a Swedish metal band that originated in Helsingborg in 1998. Their music contains ample thrash elements interspersed with acoustic interludes and symphonic features, such as the in-studio use of synthesizers and occasionally full orc ...

Mystic Prophecy Mystic Prophecy is a power metal band from Bad Grönenbach, Germany. Their sound is described as hard and melodic, similar to American power metal bands such as Iced Earth, due to their melodic riffing and powerful drumming. History The band wa ...

and

Death Angel Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. Death Angel has released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone ...

in Europe, and alongside

Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...

in Germany.

''The Audio Injected Soul''

In 2004, Mnemic recorded their second album ''

'', at AntFarm Studios in

Århus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...

, Denmark with Madsen. The album was notable for including a cover version of

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

's "

Wild Boys ''Wild Boys'' is an Australian television period drama series that began airing on the Seven Network on 4 September 2011. It is produced by Julie McGauran and Sarah Smith from Southern Star and John Holmes. The series is set in and around the ...

", and also for being the first album in the world to be recorded using

binaural recording Binaural recording is a method of recording sound that uses two microphones, arranged with the intent to create a 3-D stereo sound sensation for the listener of actually being in the room with the performers or instruments. This effect is ...

technology. This style of recording allowed enhanced audio for listeners with special head sets. The album debuted at 97 in the national Danish album charts. The album spawned two music videos, "Deathbox" (directed by Patric Ulleaus), which was filmed at the Revolver Studios in Gothenburg, and "Door 2.12", which was filmed in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Vocalist change

In 2005, vocalist Bøgballe left the band and was replaced by former Transport League and B-Thong vocalist Tony Jelencovich. Jelencovich filled in for the band's North American tour with

Meshuggah Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1985. Originally, the band's name was Metallien. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström, drummer Tomas ...

, but was subsequently replaced in April 2006 by ex-Scarve vocalist Guillaume Bideau.

''Passenger''

Mnemic's third studio album, titled ''

'', was produced by

Christian Olde Wolbers Christian Olde Wolbers (born 5 August 1972) is a Belgian musician, songwriter, and producer who is the bassist and backing vocalist of the heavy metal band Powerflo. He is the former bassist, guitarist and backing vocalist of the heavy metal b ...

Fear Factory Fear Factory is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial metal. ...

, featuring artwork by Asterik Studios, and guest vocals by Jeff Walker (of

Carcass Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced ) may refer to: *Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc. *Carrion, the decaying dead body of an animal or human being *The str ...

and

Brujeria Various types of witchcraft and occult religious practices exist in Latin American and Afro-Caribbean cultures, known in Spanish as (pronounced ). Influenced by indigenous religion, Catholicism, and European witchcraft, the purpose may range ...

) and Shane Embury (of

Napalm Death Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in 1981 in Meriden, West Midlands. None of the band's original members has been in the group since 1986. But since ''Utopia Banished'' (1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch ...

and Brujeria). The album spawned a music video for the song "Meaningless", directed by

Patric Ullaeus Patric Ullaeus is a Swedish director and photographer. He is the founder of Revolver Film Company, based in Gothenburg. With his music video "The Serpentine Offering" for Dimmu Borgir he won the "Norwegian Grammy" award Spellemannsprisen in the ...

of the Revolver Film company. The album was released in February 2007, with the Japanese version containing a bonus track, titled "Zero Synchronized".

''Sons of the System''

Mnemic's fourth album '' Sons of the System'' was distributed via

Nuclear Blast Records Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...

, and released in Europe on 15 January 2010 and in North America on 26 January 2010. It was recorded in the band's own studio, with producer Tue Madsen (who worked with the band on previous releases ''Mechanical Spin Phenomena'' and ''The Audio Injected Soul''). ''Sons of the System'' includes 11 tracks, plus three bonus tracks (including a worldwide

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

exclusive and a remix available in North America only). The band describes the production of the album as "Very eclectic, very diverse, and nothing that you would imagine coming from a band like us. Let's just say it has become more theatrical, more electronic, and just more catchy, as we have put all our focus on writing good songs and not being afraid of experimenting." In 2011, longtime members of Mnemic guitarist Rune Stigart, bassist Tomas Cowan Koefoed and drummer Brian Rasmussen left the band, leaving Mircea Gabriel Eftemie as the only original founding member.

''Mnemesis''

The band's fifth album, '' Mnemesis'', was released in June 2012, Their first album with new members guitarist Victor-Ray Salomonsen Ronander, bassist Simone Bertozzi and drummer Brian Larsen. In November 2013 the band announced that guitarist Victor-Ray Salomonsen Ronander had chosen to leave the band and they will play one final show with him in Copenhagen on 28 November 2013, before taking a break. In 2014, the band disbanded, though no official announcements were ever made.

Members

Current

* Mircea Gabriel Eftemie – guitar, keyboards (1998–2013) * Simone Bertozzi – bass (2011–2013) * Brian Larsen – drums (2011–2013)

Former

* Guillaume Bideau – vocals (2006–2013, died 2022) * Michael Bøgballe – vocals (2001–2005) * Mikkel Larsen – bass (1998–2003) * Mark Bai – vocals (1998–2001) * Tomas "OBeast" Cowan Koefoed – bass (2003–2011) * Brian "Brylle" Rasmussen – drums (1998–2011) * Rune Stigart – guitar, keyboards (1998–2011) * Victor-Ray Salomonsen Ronander – guitar, keyboards, programming (2011–2013)

Touring members

* Tony Jelencovich – vocals (2005–2006) * Victor-Ray Salomonsen Ronander – guitar (2009–2010) * Brian Larsen – drums (2011)

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:1998 till:31/12/2013 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1998 ScaleMinor = increment:2 start:1999 Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar/Keyboards id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:lines value:black legend:Studio_releases LineData = at:23/09/2003 color:black layer:back at:05/10/2004 color:black layer:back at:19/01/2007 color:black layer:back at:15/01/2010 color:black layer:back at:08/06/2012 color:black layer:back BarData = bar:Bai text:" Mark Bai" bar:Bøgballe text:"Michael Bøgballe" bar:Bideau text:"Guillaume Bideau" bar:Eftemie text:"Mircea Eftemie" bar:Stigart text:"Rune Stigart" bar:Ronander text:"Victor Ronander" bar:Mikkel text:"Mikkel Larsen" bar:Koefoed text:"Tomas C. Koefoed" bar:Bertozzi text:"Simone Bertozzi" bar:Rasmussen text:"Brian Rasmussen" bar:Brian text:"Brian Larsen" PlotData= width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Bai from:01/01/1998 till:31/01/2001 color:Vocals bar:Bøgballe from:01/02/2001 till:31/12/2005 color:Vocals bar:Bideau from:01/01/2006 till:28/11/2013 color:Vocals bar:Eftemie from:01/01/1998 till:28/11/2013 color:Guitar bar:Stigart from:01/01/1998 till:31/10/2011 color:Guitar bar:Ronander from:01/11/2011 till:19/11/2013 color:Guitar bar:Mikkel from:01/01/1998 till:31/01/2003 color:Bass bar:Koefoed from:01/02/2003 till:31/10/2011 color:Bass bar:Bertozzi from:01/11/2011 till:28/11/2013 color:Bass bar:Rasmussen from:01/01/1998 till:31/10/2011 color:Drums bar:Brian from:01/11/2011 till:28/11/2013 color:Drums

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

* "Ghost" (2003) * "Liquid" (2003) * "Deathbox" (2004) * "Door 2.12" (2004) * "Meaningless" (2007) * "Meaningless / What's Left" (2007) * "Diesel Uterus" (2010) * "I've Been You" (2012)

References

External links

Official websiteTwitterFlickr
* * {{Authority control Danish progressive metal musical groups Danish thrash metal musical groups Danish industrial metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1998 Musical groups disestablished in 2013 1998 establishments in Denmark 2013 disestablishments in Denmark Musical quintets Nu metal musical groups Nuclear Blast artists