Illegal Mind Return with “Riding Eleanor”, a Gritty Rock Burner

Illegal Mind isn’t your typical metal or punk act. Founded in 2018 by Max Datskovsky (a.k.a. Maxx Dee), the Tel Aviv/Ashkelon-based project fuses heavy music with dystopian storytelling—where bomb shelters double as studios and every track feels like a dispatch from the edge. Since 2021, it’s been a one-man operation: Maxx writes, performs, produces, mixes, and designs everything himself, blending nu-metal, punk, alt-metal, and post-grunge into a sound that’s both raw and cinematic. But beyond the genre-bending grit, what truly sets Illegal Mind apart is the lived-in apocalypse it inhabits. 2023’s From The Ashes was written and recorded in a real bomb shelter, with themes forged in real-world survival. This isn’t cosplay—it’s confession. A sonic diary of fear, resilience, and stubborn hope, wrapped in Soviet decay and neon dust, entirely DIY and definitely real.

All that grit and memory come roaring back in “Riding Eleanor,” the band’s new single. It’s a high-speed, melodic punk burner—a ghost story told in tire marks and highway wind. Originally written in Hebrew during Maxx’s MWOC days, the track was rebuilt in English and reborn with Illegal Mind’s darker, more aggressive sound. Eleanor, he says, is “a ghostly ‘right girl,’ riding shotgun through memory and mirage.” With Steve Gershin (Fatum Aeternum) adding atmospheric, expressive bass work, the track hits with urgency—part obsession, part liberation.

Visually, “Riding Eleanor” fits snugly into Illegal Mind’s evolving lore. The single’s comic-book-style cover was generated through AI concepting and finished with Maxx’s own Photoshop touch—gritty, DIY, and full of layered meaning. Look closely and you’ll spot a hidden zombie girl, nodding to earlier releases and the band’s interconnected wasteland narrative. There are no flashy music videos or major tours; instead, Maxx opts for black-and-white visual teasers, digital zines, and survival-kit aesthetics that reflect the music’s underground roots.

No pretense—Illegal Mind is born of solitude, resourcefulness, and a deep belief that music should speak truth, not trend. Maxx brews his own IPA between sessions, embraces every linguistic imperfection in his vocals, and crafts songs stitched with scars, not polish. “Riding Eleanor” isn’t just another single—it’s a mile marker in a long drive through memory, survival, and self-reclamation. With more singles, zines, and DIY experiments on the horizon, Illegal Mind continues to ride deeper into the wasteland—one haunted, electrified track at a time.

“Riding Eleanor”:

https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/album/4vqHVE8B9ZZ8fdLrn12iiv