MIKE BINO PROJECT – Sands Of Time

It’s nice to root for the underdog every now and then. It’s done with sports all the time, so who says the same principle can’t be applied to music? That’s exactly what comes to mind with Mike Bino Project’s new release entitled Sands Of Time. About a year prior, Mike Bino debuted with On The Verge Of Reality, which was one of those albums that “took some time in getting used to”, but you won’t find that problem with this new release.

This follow-up album is better in almost every aspect. The line-up is the same, except for new vocalist Wayne Mohns — you still have Mike Lepond on bass, Tommy “Earthquake” Doud on drums, and Mike Bino on guitar. With this new release, Bino wrote all of the music, produced the album, and had his hand in the mixing process to ensure the final result was his … down to the smallest detail.

One can get confused for a moment at the start because the album goes in different directions from one song to the next. From the opening moment the album comes out blazing with an attack on the aural senses. “Crush Me” does just that with its fast pace, powerful drums, solid bass, appealing vocals, and a short but to-the-point solo by Bino. But, when you expect more of the same, you get thrown for a loop with a follow-up Grunge-styled “Breathe” that may leave you scratching your head. After that comes a mixture of songs (albeit good) that go back and forth. As a result, the album would have to be listed under the Rock/Hard Rock genre, with a few exceptions and deviations here and there. The title track, for example, is melodic as are “Live And Love Again” and “Walk With Me”. There are flashes of Metal with tunes such as “Kill Or Be Killed” and “What Do You Want”.  There’s an instrumental tune as well called “Traffic Jam”. “Sweet Piece Of Meat” even has a Black Sabbath overtone, which is nonetheless welcomed.

One thing that stands out is how much tighter the band sounds from its debut release. The vocals sound better (whether it is due to the fact that there is a new vocalist or not) in that it matches the music and lyrics in better fashion. Lepond’s playing is brilliant as ever and is clearly distinguishable in each song. Doud’s drumming is a force behind the drum kit — an underrated drummer without a doubt. The nice surprise is the guitar work that Bino has put forth with this release. His overall sound and style is a bit harder than the last time out of the gates and his solos are more evident and noticeable.

When all is said and done, this album should entertain most music fans in the way the band hoped it would. Now, if the band could put out an album that has the same format from beginning to end, it might turn out to be a shocker and give them the break they are looking for.