Andy Synn, Author at NO CLEAN SINGING

Andy Synn

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): DEVOID OF THOUGHT – “DEVOID OF THOUGHT”

Apr 212026

(Andy Synn has his own thoughts about an album which is far from devoid of them)

I wasn’t supposed to be writing this article.

I’m serious… it wasn’t until yesterday when I name-checked this Italian Death Metal battalion in another review that Islander slid into my DMs to inform me that we had this premiere scheduled (which gives you some insight into the well-polished and highly-professional outfit we’re running here) and to ask whether I’d like to take a run at writing the accompanying review.

Luckily he caught me in the mood for even more weird, mind-warping Metal… which is exactly what Devoid of Thought have delivered on their long-gestating, highly-anticipated, self-titled second album.

ORDH – BLIND IN ABYSSAL REALMS

Album Reviews 1 Response »

Apr 202026

(Andy Synn stares blindly into the abyssal realms… and is very pleased by what stares back)

It probably shouldn’t (I know how the game is played, after all) but it still rankles with me whenever I see bands getting major deals, support slots, etc, based on who their members are rather than the quality of their music.

At the same time, however, when bands we love here at NCS break up – and in this case we’re talking about Vermont-based Prog-Sludgers Barishi – I’m always happy to keep an ear out for whatever their members do next.

Does this make me a hypocrite? Probably. But I comfort myself with the thought that there’s at least a qualitative difference between, say, a major festival giving a so-called “super-group” a slot before they’ve even released any music and a site like ours trying to keep up with the careers of some of our favourite underground artists.

Hypocrisy or not though, the debut album from Ordh demonstrates exactly why it’s so important to keep track of this level of talent, wherever they end up.

BEST OF BRITISH: CHALK HANDS / SUGAR HORSE / VOID OF LIGHT

Album Reviews 2 Responses »

Apr 162026

(Andy Synn offers up three more prime Brtish exports for you to enjoy)

Like I’ve said before, we like to keep you guessing here at NCS, which is why after spending the start of the week covering riff-happy ragers from At The Gates and Inherit the Curse I’ve decided to dedicate the end of the week to three UK-based bands who err more towards the expressive, progressive, and/or atmospheric side of the musical spectrum.

INHERIT THE CURSE – ALL WE ARE IS DUST

Album Reviews 1 Response »

Apr 142026

(Andy Synn goes from a long-term favourite to a brand new one from German Metalcore marauders Inherit the Curse)

If there’s one thing we try to avoid doing here at NCS, it’s repeat ourselves.

So since yesterday was all about a legendary, long-running band and what could possibly be their final album, today I’m going to shift my focus to a much, much younger band who just put out their first full-length release.

Sun rise, sun set.

AT THE GATES – THE GHOST OF A FUTURE DEAD

Album Reviews 5 Responses »

Apr 132026

(It’s with a heavy heart, and a deep sense of responsibility, that Andy Synn sets out to give the new album from the one-and-only At The Gates – featuring the final recorded performance of the dearly-departed Tomas Lindberg – a proper eulogy in advance of its release next week)

Ever since I first received my copy of The Ghost of a Future Dead I’ve been struggling… not just with what to say about it, but how to say it.

After all, any time a new release from a seminal, life-changing band like this one – I’m sure that a fair few people reading this now probably owe their Metal awakening to the seminal Slaughter of the Soul – appears people are inevitably going to come at it with a whole host of preconceived notions, opinions, and expectations, and the last thing some of those people want to hear is any actual criticism.

And when you add in the fact that not only is this the last At The Gates album featuring their much-loved, and much-missed, voccalist Tomas Lindberg, but it also might even be the last At The Gates album ever (as the band, understandably, have acknowledged that they have no idea if they’ll want or be able to continue without their fallen frontman) that makes it even harder to know exactly how to approach things.

But, thankfully, messrs. Lindberg, Larsson, Erlandsson, Björler and Björler were kind enough to make at least one part of my task easy… as The Ghost of a Future Dead is the band’s best album in over a decade.

BLACKER THAN THE BLACKEST BLACK: NATURE MORTE / NON EST DEUS / SISYPHEAN / ULTHA

Album Reviews 4 Responses »

Apr 082026

(Andy Synn presents a quartet of recently released Black Metal recommendations)

For reasons we may never understand a huge percentage of the Black Metal scene decided to release their new albums last week – including a surprise drop from long-time NCS favourites Ultha – and, despite our best efforts, we’re probably not going to be able to cover all, or even most, of them here.

But I’ve chosen four visceral examples from this veritable smorgasbord of blackened delights to highlight here today all the same, as I refuse to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

WITCH RIPPER – THROUGH THE HOURGLASS

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Apr 062026

(Andy Synn finds love in the hyperdrive all over again with Witch Ripper)

Let me begin by telling you a little story I don’t think I’ve shared before.

I’ve been a big fan of Seattle-based Prog-Metal maestros Witch Ripper for some time now – I first wrote very positively about their first album, Homestead in 2018, and lavished even more praise on 2023’s outstanding, album of the year contender, The Flight After the Fall – but, due to the exorbitant postage costs involved in shipping anything from the US over the last few years, getting a hold of either of these albums in physical form proved to be prohibitively expensive.

Thankfully I’d become friendly with the band’s vocalist/guitarist, Curtis Parker during this time, and while I was in Seattle for Northwest Terror Fest in 2024 (tickets for this year’s edition still on sale, btw) he very kindly offered to hand-deliver copies of both record’s to me at my hotel, an offer which I duly accepted.

But here’s the thing – and the thing that Curtis himself didn’t know (but absolutely will after this) – I thought I was getting CD version of both albums, so when he walked around the corner with two LPs in hand, well… let’s just say I was very surprised, but tried not to show it, even though I had no idea how was going to get these two pieces of vinyl back to the UK without breaking them.

Thankfully I was ultimately able to transport them both home safely (and then, not long after, track down affordable copies of both albums on CD as well) and they now sit proudly on my vinyl shelf as part of my small, but much-loved, LP collection, and I’m hopefully going to add their excellent new album, Through the Hourglass, to the shelf right alongside them very soon.

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Album Reviews No Responses »

Apr 022026

(Andy Synn presents another round-up of cool stuff you may have missed last month)

A couple of days ago I promised you a second one of these “Things You May Have Missed” articles… and here it is.

Of course, even with double the usual number of bands to cover I’ve still barely scratched the surface of what March had to offer, so if you have any extra time on your hands I’d recommend also checking out the new releases from Alkhemia, Cult of Occult, Defacing God, Dionysiaque, Dollhaver, Gorenado, The Oldest House, Qwälen, and Rivers Ablaze.

Before then, however, here’s four artists/albums – including two debuts – that I’ve personally selected as being particularly worthy of your attention.

THE SYNN REPORT (PART 193): DOODSESKADER

THE SYNN REPORT No Responses »

Apr 012026

Recommended for fans of: Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, Death Grips, Godflesh, clipping.

The thing about blending genres is – just like mixing together too many shades of paint – what you often end up with is just… beige.

But when you get it right, not just sloppily blending together all the most generic and familiar aspects of different styles but relying on the clashing, kaleidoscopic contrasts between them to create something weird and provocative that smashes through all the established boundaries… that’s when you get Doodseskader.

And with their third album set for release on Friday, now seemed like the perfect time to shine some light on the duo’s unique amalgam of Electro-Industrial-Hip-Hop and Nu-Punk-Sludge-Metal.

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Album Reviews 2 Responses »

Mar 312026

(Andy Synn presents the first of two articles covering some of the many things he missed in March)

There were just SO many releases during March that I wanted, but didn’t have time, to cover, that you’re getting two “Things You May Have Missed” articles this week, rather than the usual one.

Of course, even with twice the usual number of entries I’m still having to leave a horrifying number of bands on the proverbial cutting room floor, and some (but not all) of the bands also considered for this article include Bedrängnis, Circle Back, Deadnate, Egocide, Funeral Pile, Mammon’s Throne, Mariner, Poison the Well, and Teratoma… with many more still on the short-list for the next article as well.

I’ve also got another edition of The Synn Report to somehow squeeze in before then too, so I’d better stop wasting time with this preamble and get to the music, which once again features a quartet of bands, all from different genres, that I would take it as a personal favour if you all checked them out.

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