released October 4, 2022
#5 of 2022
“It’s not often that a post-rock release will grab me, but this one has it’s claws deep. Earlier Chest Rockwell releases were the product of a full band, but the last few, including this one are done solo by the ever prolific Josh Hines (see Starer above). I don’t have a list for individual tracks, but if I did, The Cartesian Theater would take the top spot this year. The whole album, but especially that track, draw you deep into another world.”
- Mosh Pit Nation
Best of 2022
- Doom Machine
#9 of 2022
“impressive stuff from one guy (Josh Hines). American progressive stoner/doom, although here there are many different elements mixed together in a wonderful unit.”
- Fredrik Alnæs
#13 Best Prog Metal of 2022
- Metal Storm
#20 of 2022
- Fast’ ‘n Bulbous
Album of the Year honorable mention
- Wanna Hear a Great Song Today?
Top 5 Metal of the Month at Banger TV
youtu.be/ODW-EwZXN2A
Best of 2022
“Chest Rockwell - Mentis Oculi. Not a record I've listened to too much yet, but it's impressive stuff from one guy (Josh Hines). American progressive stoner/doom, although here there are many different elements mixed together in a wonderful unit.”
- Málaga de Noruega (Norway)
“It might also be the best thing I've ever heard from Chest Rockwell, and I like this outfit quite a bit.”
- Music Street Journal
Best 20+ Minute Song (Old Man of the Mountain)
Best Song Titles (The Syrtis of His Patrimony and The Charybdis of his Possessions)
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Lazland.org
Best Underground Metal on Bandcamp October 2022
- Metal Trenches
youtu.be/I3Gs7raWnXc
#3 Underground Metal Album of October 2022
- Hard Factory Channel
Weekly Pick
- Doomed and Gloomed
Release Day Top Pick
- Heavy Blog is Heavy
Release of the Week
- The Progspace
Album of the Week
“One man prog band from Kentucky, with some stoner crunch, tons of fun.”
- Fast n Bulbous
New Album Recommendation
- Sonus Imbellis
“Reminiscent of progressive Devin Townsend, Ihsahn, and Monolord.”
- Metal Trenches
"This album is pretty awesome. It's got heavy sludgy riffs, great drumming, solid bass work and amazing vocals. I highly recommend this if you like old school Progressive Rock and Doom Metal." 8.5/10
- Your Daily Dose of Heavy Music
“It’s very nerdy in some ways, deep into mythology, but also mind-expanding. Would recommend for any role playing game session in which you’re going on a long journey.”
- Razorcake Magazine
“Wall of sound songs with intensity building around simple, usually ponderous, repetitive riffs. I bet this was fun to make, layering up with everything (including, I suspect, the kitchen sink) available in the studio.”
5 stars
- Powerplay Magazine 256 (UK)
“For today, it’s album opener, “The Syrtis of His Patrimony,” that’s under the microscope, and what a great way to start an album! How about that guitar tone? Much packed into this hypnotizing track by a very talented artist. Great song.”
- Wanna Hear a Great Song Today?
“Nothing much to compare with. An interesting combination of sophisticated doom, stoner and something alt-space. I like it. Viscous gloomy atmosphere, a deep panorama of vast spaces, concealing surprises.”
- Metal Area (Russia)
"Heavy but not caustic, right-seeming riff-laden metal made from filaments of glowing gray and purple hazes. The modes are dark, demonic, ancient, inorganic. The vocals are almost ghost-like; sing song but sinister, desperate and pleading. Amazed at that which has been seen. Power in the arms of a dove."
- Issues Magazine 66
“This album is giving me some deep chills! CHEST ROCKWELL is a Neo-Prog/Doom metal band from Bowling Green, Kentucky that started in 2004. Their latest release entitled ‘Mentis Oculi’ (meaning “a mind’s eye”) is a spacey-prog gem amongst rubble. With it’s doomy bassline and an affinity for the dark, sour notes it gives a witchy vibe with a fiery melody — I could dance to this entire album. My favorite track would definitely have to be “Homunculus” — vibrantly dark, and delicious. The album has a beautiful beginning and an epic end — what else could I ask for? Check out the new album ‘Mentis Oculi’ below and who knows, maybe your mind’s eye will awaken!”
- MFKNZine
"On the whole, Mentis Oculi is a thoroughly enjoyable album from a dedicated and talented artist who I respect a great deal.
Highly recommended."
- Lazland (UK)
lazland.org/album-reviews-2022/chest-rockwell-mentis-oculi
“I’ve had a couple of months to process this incredible album, so it’s not a snap judgment when I say this (The Cartesian Theater) is my favorite track of the five. I’ll also state categorically that all five tracks are excellent. Even the final, twenty-two and a half minute beast of a track doesn’t wear out its welcome.”
- Moshpit Nation
www.moshpitnation.com/track-premiere-chest-rockwell-the-cartesian-theater/
“Chest Rockwell has produced an album that not only brings into question the future of progressive music but also brings into question religion. This album abandons the Kyuss worship of the genre for Mastodon and Pink Floyd. This music is progressive without having the audience needing a degree in music to understand. Mentis Oculi creates a world where the listener can create the storylines for themselves despite all of its questioning, it's up to the fans to decide the future of progressive music.”
- Cave Dweller Music
cavedwellermusic.net/reviews/post/2006321/chest-rockwell-mentis-oculi
“All in all I find this album to be better described as an expressive variety of atmospheric metal. A production well worth checking out if music described in this manner is regarded as generally interesting, and in particular if a progressive orientation applied to this kind of music is regarded as a positive trait.”
- Progressor (Norway)
“There are very few acts who can merge a sense of atmosphere, flow and a sense of urgency together... and to then partner that with a sense of adventure... This is what Chest Rockwell does, and it does it at master level. The album as a whole is engaging, trance-likel, at times psychedelic, and constantly flowing around you; its an immersive experience.”
- The Avant-Void
"Mentis Oculi" sparks the imagination in so many ways be it sonically, visually or through it's music. Building on it's mythos and cascading the listener with heavy atmosphere and top-notch musicianship, all of which composed by a single individual. On it's own "Mentis Oculi" is excellent but all the same it opens the doors and encourages further exploration and curiosity.”
- Doodlehound
“Chest Rockwell is just one of the projects of a very prolific multi-instrumentalist from Kentucky named Josh Hines. In this incarnation, which already has eight albums behind it in twenty years, progressive rock is played, which on the eighth album, Mentis Oculi, is, well, very receptive. Hines writes excellent songs, he has a feeling for arrangements, for a good theme but also for a psychedelic superstructure and this is a collection of very good pieces of heavy rock, with the final song longer than twenty minutes as it should be.”
- Cvecezla (Serbia)
“No compromises to be found in Mentis Oculi by Chest Rockwell! So creative and full of thought!” 79/100
- Madman Reviews
“The classic prog metal sounds with stoner guitar and a slightly psychedelic atmosphere.”
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MLWZ.pl (Poland)
“Their new album is atmospheric and intricate but in a way so even those who are not familiar with prog structure can listen with great pleasure. Mentis Oculti showcases a band that is distinctive, intense, exploratory and with highly skilled musicians who are also able to compose very good songs.”
- Permafrost Today (Norway)
"Great grooves and awesome guitar work." 85/100
- Metal Kingdom
“ So The Syrtis Of His Patrimony has thumping riffs, its fierceness alleviated by some subtle detailing. There's the prog-metal meets stoner rock of Homunculus' rolling drum pattern and guitar solo, and there is plenty of variation to the blocky chords of The Cartesian Theater's guitar onslaught. Then there is the epic The Old Man Of The Mountain. After a relatively quiet start, it develops a doomy Sabbath-like riff, one that would make Tony Iommi proud. It accelerates as the vocals come in for a lengthy section of Chest Rockwell's signature riffing, before it takes a little left turn into a slower portion that has a guitar melody that resembles an Indian raga.”
- Dutch Progressive Rock Pages
“I would have liked to have known whether the lyrics were thoughtful and interesting or pretentious bullshit.”
(The album comes with lyrics 😂)
- Tim Delany