Andy Synn, Author at NO CLEAN SINGING

Andy Synn

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Nov 062023

(Andy Synn presents four more artists/albums from last month which you may not have heard)

Would you look at that… it’s somehow November already. Which means, in a little over a month, I’ll be taking over NCS for a full week and publishing my lengthy round-up of all the Great, Good, and Disappointing releases of the year – the ones I’ve heard and feel at least semi-qualified to give an opinion of – culminating in my usual Critical and Personal top ten lists.

As always, it’s impossible for me to listen to, or cover, everything that’s released over the course of a year, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try and squeeze in as many reviews and recommendations as I can before then.

Making the decision of who/what to include, however, seems to be getting harder and harder – albums which almost made the cut this month include END‘s absolutely devastating The Sin of Human Frailty, the stellar debut album from Voidescent, and the predictably excellent new record from Slidhr – but I’m confident that the four selections I’ve made, two of which were “surprise” released without any warning or fanfare, will be well worth your time (and mine).

ROSA FAENSKAP – JEG BLIR TIL DEG

Album Reviews 4 Responses »

Nov 012023

(Andy Synn offers his effusive recommendation for the debut album of Norway’s Rosa Faenskap)

While common wisdom will tell you that making music isn’t a competition – in that you’re not directly trying to “beat” other bands – that assertion doesn’t necessarily tell the full story.

Make no mistake about it, being in a band means that you are, inevitably, “competing” in some way for people’s attention, for opportunities, for coverage and column inches… all of which, like it or not, are limited resources. In the end, there’s only so much of them to go around.

Case in point, while multiple outlets were quick (perhaps a little too quick) to heap praise upon Agriculture‘s self-titled album earlier this year (although my/our review was a little more critical than most) there’s been much less written about Jeg blir til deg, the certifiably unorthodox and certain-to-be-divisive debut from Norwegian trio Rosa Faenskap.

Which is a damn shame because, out of the two bands, it’s the latter who arguably deserve, and live up to, all the hype.

THE SYNN REPORT (PART 164): PHANTOM WINTER

THE SYNN REPORT No Responses »

Oct 312023

Recommended for fans of: Body Void, Lord Mantis, Amenra

If you’ve been following the site for any length of time, chances are you’ve seen us heaping praise on Germany’s Phantom Winter, whose signature sound – an ear-scraping, heart-breaking blend of sickening Sludge and savage Black Metal, doomy Post-Metal dynamics and sinister, drone-infused atmospherics which the band themselves have playfully dubbed “Winterdoom” – has been terrorising audiences since 2015.

And with the group’s latest album, Her Cold Materials, having just been released last week now seemed like the perfect time to feature their full discography and, hopefully, bring their music o the attention of even more potential listeners.

FUMING MOUTH – LAST DAY OF SUN

Album Reviews No Responses »

Oct 302023

(Andy Synn gives his thoughts on the new Fuming Mouth album, out Friday)

To describe Last Day of Sun simply as a “post-cancer” album would be overly-reductive.

It’s more than just that, for sure.

But there’s no question that the knowledge of Fuming Mouth frontman Mark Whelan’s battle with, and recovery from, Acute Myeloid Leukemia definitely adds some extra thematic weight to the record’s metallic meditations on mortality and the fragility of existence.

PANOPTICON – THE RIME OF MEMORY

Album Reviews 1 Response »

Oct 252023

(Andy Synn offers some early insight into The Rime of Memory, set for release on 29 November)

It could be argued that I am, perhaps, the wrong person to be reviewing the new album from Panopticon (aka multi-instrumental marvel Austin Lunn), as my history with the band is somewhat mixed.

Like many of you, I fell in love with the seminal Kentucky the moment I first heard it but, unfortunately, I was far less taken with both Roads to the North and Autumn Eternal which – while both good albums in their own right (the latter especially) – just didn’t seem to speak to me in quite the same way.

However, just as I was beginning to accept that our connection was perhaps only a fleeting one, they released the ambitious and expansive double-album, The Scars of Man…, which swiftly rekindled my love for their forlon, folk-inspired sound, and then followed this up with the absolutely masterful …And Again Into the Light, which may well be the best album of their career.

Then again, perhaps this means that I might actually be the best choice to review The Rime of Memory, as I’m less likely than most to descend into unwarranted hyperbole and hero-worship and more willing to offer a mix of both praise and criticism, to whatever extent is warranted?

I suppose there’s only one way to find out.

WITCHING – INCENDIUM

Album Reviews 1 Response »

Oct 232023

(Andy Synn hopes to ignite your interest in the new album from Philadelphia’s Witching, set for release this Friday)

It was just over three years ago that we hosted the premiere of Witching‘s first album, Vernal, describing it as:

“…a subtly proggy, occasionally doomy, but above all emotionally intense, form of Sludge reminiscent of both latter-day Ludicra and early Mastodon.”

And while that description still holds true for their debut, there’s no question that album #2 is an altogether more aggressive and incendiary piece of work.

BEST OF BRITISH: TIDES OF SULFUR / TORPOR / TRIVAX

Album Reviews 1 Response »

Oct 192023

(Andy Synn presents another collection of British artists/albums he thinks you should check out)

Good afternoon kids (and kids of all ages).

Are you ready to learn?

Well, today’s edition of the “Best of British” is brought to you by the letter “T” and the number “3”.

So shut up and start paying attention. There will be a test.

DREAMWELL – IN MY SADDEST DREAMS, I AM BESIDE YOU

Album Reviews 2 Responses »

Oct 182023

(Andy Synn encourages you to give Dreamwell‘s new album – out this Friday – a chance)

Before you go any further, I encourage you all to go read what I wrote about Dreamwell‘s previous album, which was one of my favourite records of 2021.

Finished?

Well, now let me tell you why – as good as Modern Grotesque was – In My Saddest Dreams… is even better.

SULPHUR AEON – SEVEN CROWNS & SEVEN SEALS

Album Reviews 1 Response »

Oct 172023

(Andy Synn catches up with NCS favourites Sulphur Aeon following the release of their fourth album)

I doubt there’ll be many people willing to argue against the statement that Sulphur Aeon have long-since proven themselves to be one of the best bands in Death Metal – hell, in Metal in general – operating today.

After making an impressive impact with their 2012 debut, Swallowed by the Ocean’s Tide, they then blew practically everyone away with the inhuman intensity of 2015’s Gateway to the Antisphere, only to then turn around and knock people’s socks off all over again with the more epic and melodic strains of The Scythe of Cosmic Chaos in 2018.

So to say that the band have set themselves a very high bar would be an understatement, and I want to make it clear that when I tell you that Seven Crowns & Seven Seals isn’t quite the quantum leap that …Scythe… was from Gateway… (or Gateway… was from Swallowed…) that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It simply means that Sulphur Aeon are finally settling into their own strange and sinister skin.

CROW BLACK SKY – SIDEREAL LIGHT, VOL. TWO

Album Reviews 2 Responses »

Oct 122023

(Andy Synn offers his thoughts on the new album from South Africa’s Crow Black Sky)

While the whole “two year album cycle” thing is fine for some bands (though I’d say it’s more common amongst bands signed to more prominent labels) not every artist works, or should work, to the same schedule.

Case in point, Cape Town’s Crow Black Sky released their first album back in 2010, but then waited eight more years before releasing the follow-up, Sidereal Light, Vol. One.

In hindsight you almost wonder why the band didn’t change their name in the intervening period (though I can understand why not, since Crow Black Sky is an excellent name) as Volume One represented a significant shift in sound for the group, moving them towards a “cosmic” Black Metal sound that was as rich in atmosphere as it was in aggression… and all the better for it.

And now, after five long years, we finally get to hear where this path has taken them with the recent release of Sidereal Light, Vol. Two.

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