The Soundtrack for Self-Care and Societal Sabotage
An Actus Reus Review
Written by Sierra Walsh
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, now is the perfect time to ramp up some self-care rituals and nurture the inner revolutionary within you. Face masks, hexing a cheating ex, buying yourself flowers, and over throwing the government are absolutely perfect ways to accomplish this level of self-care. But what about the perfect mood music to accomplishing such tasks? You won’t have to look any further than at Actus Reus’s new album, Mens Rea Pt. 1 for the perfect soundtrack while doing so. Mens Rea Pt. 1, (released on February 10th, 2023) journeys through the mind of a discarded “madman” and showcases exactly how the fires of revolution ignite. Fan favorite tracks such as “Thoughts Revoked” and “Actus Reus” are accompanied with the freshly cut single “The Cops Aren’t Coming” and “Crush the Boundaries” to truly complete the mood of “starting a revolution right after this self-care routine.” Previously, we’ve established that Actus Reus is an up and coming metal band that embodies unleashing the rebellion within. They are taking radical self-acceptance one step further into evolving into an unapologetic—borderline feral—version of the inner anarchist, and becoming a catalyst for transformation.
Lighting up some rose scented candles to the adrenaline inducing “Mens Rea” will set the atmosphere for truly appreciating the rebel within. This powerhouse of instrumental is not only a fiery intro for the album, it flows perfectly into the first song, “Jimmy.” Together, these build another part of Jimmy’s backstory, giving the full blown, murderous rampage in “Cultist” another layer of a man feeling lost in a society that was supposed to be his home and sanctuary. There is a hollowness in the wind blowing at the very beginning of “Mens Rea,” indicating that Jimmy is not only allegorical for the rage of outcasts, he is also the emptiness that follows a betrayal. His backstory is still shrouded in mystery aside from hints pointing at MK Ultra and a possible normal life before he took on the mask of Jimmy. However, his theme presents him as the both a flesh and blood madman as well as the personification inner emptiness devolving into the fury that will eventually be succumbed to.
Accompanying this righteous rage like the finest rosé wine is the newest released song, “The Cops Aren’t Coming.” Peaceful protests have been fueled by such rage, invoking change and giving platforms to activists reforming society, however, they are frequently overshadowed by the violence brought on by authority figures who are supposed to be serving and protecting the public. Paranoia etches itself into “watch your back/surprise attack,” and clings to the mood of the song, spotlighting the ways that activists and protestors have been and continue to be targeted. The hopelessness present in “this city’s done/it’s up in flames/no chance of immortality” echoes from the very beginning of “Mens Rea” and builds into the final straw that crescendos into an anarchist-esque revolution in “Crush the Boundaries.” While this may be Jimmy’s manifesto, there is a reflection of the public’s outcry against injustice and police brutality in the lyrics “armed to the teeth/marching head fucking first/we will not die/through the tides of war.” A final push results in the extinguishing of fear and any love left in a city that was once thought to be perfect. The façade is broken to those that believed in it, leaving behind nothing but aimless wandering for a home that may not exist.
Seasoned fans already know about the absolute masterpiece that is “Thoughts Revoked.” The second released single from Actus Reus delved deeper into Jimmy’s backstory and also manifested into an anthem of taking back one’s power. Now that it is complimented with its own intro instrumental “Blasphemia,” “Thoughts Revoked” feels revamped with more insanity. “Blasephemia” doesn’t act as its own stand-alone instrumental like “Mens Rea,” with the chorus to “Thoughts Revoked” echoing along with the disembodies screams. After the fire and smoke clears from a burning city, the displaced madness escapes into the woods where the existential crisis begins. Finding any sense of purpose outside of being a catalyst of change eventually becomes a comfort and a source of re-empowering the rebellious spirit. What the chaos tore apart in the previous tracks leaves a sense of “what do I do now?” “Blasphemia” and “Thoughts Revoked” give a pause for inner reflection about how the prior programming from outside constraints drained any sort of identity from Jimmy. There was nothing left but the hollowness that then turned to insanity after being used by those more influential than him and then discarded back into a city (or society) that abandoned him “into a pit of hate” when his old life was completely extinguished.
Topping off this glorious album is the single, “Actus Reus.” We are left with a cliffhanger, anxiously waiting for the next chapter of what will happen to Jimmy and the allegory he embodies. As it was presented in “Mens Rea,” the devolving of what is deemed a “sane” mind has completed. The madness embraced, and “here we still are/with our heads in the sky/this energy still pulsating/ringing clear through all our lives.” All that is left is the action taken against the ones trying to make people bend to their will. “Actus Reus” is the final surrender, the final cry of “my will is broken/there’s nothing left” and any form of what was once normality will no longer suffice. Boundaries are gone. Constraints destroyed. What else is there to build from? Perhaps answers will be presented in part two. We’ll just have to wait.
Hopefully, the self-care routine proved to be rejuvenating along with the fresh music from our most beloved agents of chaos. Mens Rea Pt. 1 is an absolutely brilliant work, serving not just the fan favorites but showcasing experimental and different styles in new tracks/videos like “The Cops Aren’t Coming” and “Actus Reus.” The song that demonstrates just how perfect Actus Reus works together is definitely “Blasephemia.” It is every positive aspect in this album rolled into a minute and a half of pure, unconcentrated perfection. The sound adds a new twist to the familiar adrenaline that fuels “Thoughts Revoked.” Plus Adam Rose’s vocals sound like distorted echoes straight out of an award winning horror film and the screams themselves give the sense of someone in a living nightmare. The mood for this whole album is perfectly encapsuled in this track. As a whole, Mens Rea Pt. 1 is a welcomed and extremely anticipated arrival for the Actus Crew. It is everything and more than what we anticipated it would be, and worth every sore muscle from headbanging to every track. It’s here. It’s finally here.
