Sonic Syndicate are a breath of fresh air for the Melodic Death Metal genre. Blending the driving, technically impressive and above all melodic instrumentation that we have all come to love from this genre, Sonic Syndicate take it yet another step further with their vocals, joining the prestigious ranks of In Flames and Soilwork as bands willing to utilise a more conventional singing style, along with their (readily understandable) screams and roars.It’s hard to believe that they needed to join a competition to get a record deal, as the strength of their music is near-unparalleled. A nod from Anders Friden of In Flames fame won’t hurt much, either!
While a cohesive body of work, Only Inhuman comprises 12 unique tracks, mixing more melodic moments with heavier, fist-pumping metal. With the brothers Sjunnessen forming the back-bone of the band (Richard on vocals, Roger and Robin on guitars – and what amazing guitar playing!), Karin Axelsson providing bass duties as well as some vocals, John Bengtsson pounding the drums and further vocals provided by Roland Johansson, the band are able to provide a diverse sound that sounds fresh, urgent and so very, very catchy. While recognisably Melodic Death Metal, the band have managed to create a sound that remains very much their own, without paying overt homage to any of their influences. An admirable feat for a genre that has started to sound more and more formulaic and just a little stale (check out Dark Tranquility’s latest, Fiction, for sad proof of this).
From the opening bars of “Aftermath” to the closing notes of “Flashback” (and everything in between), Only Inhuman presses all the right buttons, never allowing the pace of delivery to drop. The songs are huge, anthemic and infectious. It’s almost impossible not to fall immediately in love with this band (and their strikingly beautiful bass player).
If you like heavy, melodic music, Sonic Syndicate are your new favourite band. Only Inhuman is as close to flawless as an album can get.
Stand-out Tracks: “Psychic Suicide”, “Double Agent 616”, “Callous”… I know I’ve said this before, but every single song on Only Inhuman requires your immediate attention. An essential 2007 purchase.
No comments:
Post a Comment