Andy Synn, Author at NO CLEAN SINGING

Andy Synn

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Oct 062025

(Andy Synn returns to regular posting today with an apology and an attempt to atone for his absence)

As you may have noticed, I missed a lot of stuff last month… mostly because I was very busy, first with my superb stag-do (“bachelor party” to those who don’t know what that means) which involved myself and my chosen band of brothers heading to Islay for a weekend full of whiskey (so much whiskey), and then my wonderful wedding (yes, that’s right, I’m a married man now) which also involved the extended NCS family coming to visit (which, of course, meant we spent most of the week before and after the event hanging out).

As a result I had very little time to actually sit down and listen to music, let alone write about it, and it’s really only thanks to the valiant efforts of DGR – who was smart enough to write a bunch of reviews in advance of him and Islander coming over – that we actually stayed active and afloat for much of September.

It won’t surprise you to learn then that my “short list” of albums to potentially write about this time around was much, much longer than usual, and even though I’ve tried to compensate for this by increasing the number of albums from 4 to 6, I still feel like I need to apologise to the likes of Cult Member, Nexion, Occulsed, Ordeals, Piece, and Yotuma for not having the time or space to include them (and an additional apology must also be extended to Hexrot, whose late-August release I honestly had every intention of reviewing).

VALDUR – GUILDED ABYSS

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Oct 022025

(Andy Synn gazes deep into the Guilded Abyss in advance of its release tomorrow)

I’ve spoken before, both briefly and at length, about how thankful I am that NCS is a wholly ~~incompetent~~ independent entity.

Don’t get me wrong, when I actually wrote for a physical magazine I was still pretty much left to my own devices, but the fact that we have no advertisers to placate, no industry higher-ups to fellate, and for the most part aren’t reliant on PR reps/divisions to feed us potential content (which often comes with an assumed quid pro quo that future access will be contingent on positive coverage), means that Islander, DGR, and I are essentially a law unto ourselves.

And because of this, because we make our own rules and don’t have to answer to anyone else, we’re able to do things like start the week off by reviewing the already incredibly popular album from future mainstream Metalcore darlings Dying Wish and end it by telling you all to save space for the latest slab of suffocating Black/Death savagery from underground iconoclasts Valdur.

THE SYNN REPORT (PART 187): TITHE

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Oct 012025

Recommended for fans of: Full of Hell, Wake, Of Feather and Bone

I must admit that Grindcore is not a genre I tend to spend a lot of time with… although I do dip my toe into the filth every now and then (mostly when a band comes along who mixes in some of the ol’ Grind with other, equally metallic, elements).

Case in point, Portland, Oregon trio Tithe – aka Matt Eiseman (guitar/vocals), Alex Huddleston (bass/vocals), and Kevin Swartz (drums) – first caught my attention with the release of 2023’s Inverse Rapture, whose hideous Death/Black/Sludge/Grind hybrid ultimately earned them a place on my list of the year’s “Great” albums (which you can check out here, if you’re curious).

And with the group having just released their third album, Communion In Anguish, a few weeks ago now seemed like the perfect time to introduce you to (or remind you of) the group’s grindy greatness.

DYING WISH – FLESH STAYS TOGETHER

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Sep 292025

(Andy Synn has a lot to say about Dying Wish and their meteoric, and well-earned, rise today)

There are some people, you know the ones, who will tell you that bands becoming more melodic, more popular, more “accessible”, is inherently a bad thing.

Heck, the name of our site is itself a tongue-in-cheek reference to a specific version of this particular phenomenon.

By the same token, however, I think it’s worth noting that “accessibility” isn’t the be-all and end-all – Imagine Dragons may be more “accessible” than Imperial Triumphant… in fact I’m pretty sure they are… but I know which one I’d rather listen to – and that “popularity” doesn’t necessarily correlate with actual “quality”.

And with the recent resurgence of Hardcore/Metalcore in the mainstream consciousness – I’m talking bands dropping massive breakdowns on live tv, showcasing unexpected pop-star collaborations, and hitting headliner status on festivals which previously wouldn’t have given them a second glance – I can absolutely understand why some folks might be concerned about “the scene” sacrificing integrity in favour of dubious celebrity.

But I’m here to tell you that just because a band starts to get “big” – and Dying Wish are well on their way – that doesn’t mean they suddenly become “bad”.

ASHBREATHER – LA GRANDE BOUFFE

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Sep 252025

(Andy Synn has spent the last week or so gorging himself on fine food and drink… which makes the new album from Ashbreather an interesting, if not entirely inappropriate, choice for his return to action)

Well… here we are again, almost (but not quite) back to normal operation (that’ll probably end up being next week after we’ve recovered from all the travelling and/or revelling we’ve been doing recently).

So, as we gear up to get ourselves back to speed (although thanks to DGR you might not have noticed too much difference, considering the number of reviews he was able to put together to cover our recent down-time) I’ve decided to turn my attention to a band we’ve only covered once here before (back in the tail-end of 2022) and whom I/we sadly kind of lost touch with in the intervening years.

And, let me tell you this… whatever happened to Ashbreather in those years (which included both an EP and a collaboration which I missed) has only made them stronger/stranger.

REVOCATION – NEW GODS, NEW MASTERS

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Sep 172025

(Andy Synn offers some advance thoughts on the new album from long-time NCS favourites Revocation)

Seriously though, stop me if you’ve heard this before, but… sometimes it seems like we spend a lot, if not most, of our time here at NCS playing catch-up.

But, every so often, we do manage to get at least a little bit ahead of the curve and, with the new Revocation album (their ninth, and the first to feature new bassist Alex Weber and new guitarist Harry Lannon) set for release next week, today’s review marks a rare occasion where we’ve got an opportunity to set the tone and help structure the audience’s expectations in advance.

So let’s not waste any more time, and get to it, shall we?

KRIGSGRAV – STORMCALLER

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Sep 162025

(Andy Synn is here to tell you whether to grab an umbrella, or just run for cover, when the new album from Krigsgrav arrives this Friday)

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but… sometimes it seems like we spend most of our time here at NCS playing catch-up.

But the key word there is “most”.

You see, while it’s not easy to stay on top of all the new releases every week (although Islander does a damn good job of at least keeping track of new songs and/or album announcements) we do still manage to at least get a few reviews out each month in advance of their respective release dates.

And when the band is an old friend of the blog – figuratively speaking – like Krigsgrav (whose new album is out this Friday) we try to make a special effort to deliver our verdict in a more timely manner.

THE GREAT WHITE NOTHING – PASSAGE I: MELANCHOLIA

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Sep 152025

(Andy Synn travels deep into The Great White Nothing… and likes what he finds there)

Sometimes it seems like we spend most of our time here at NCS playing catch-up.

And the reason for this is… well, we kind of do.

After all, there’s just so much released each week/month/year that it’s impossible to stay on top, or ahead, of it all, and often by the time we find something that really grabs our attention (and/or find the time to actually get some writing done in between all our other commitments) the release date for whatever it is has already passed.

Case in point, the debut album from Belgian Post-Metal/Post-Hardcore/Post-Black quintet The Great White Nothing was actually released on the 31st of August, but I didn’t stumble across it until over a week later, and then didn’t find time to sit down and properly pen a few thoughts about it until now.

But, as the unofficial mantra of this site goes, better late than never… right?

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT – INNERN

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Sep 102025

(Andy Synn takes a look deep inside the new album from Der Weg Einer Freiheit, out Friday)

I recently saw someone joking online – although, truthfully, it was more of a wry observation – that “true Black Metal is fuelled by ennui“.

And although this statement was slightly tongue-in-cheek (made in response to one of those oh-so-serious “Black Metal is only for those filled with true evil and hate” types) well… there might just be something to it.

After all, we’re talking about a genre which – for all the subsequent mythologising around its early days – was started by a bunch of angry, angsty teenagers chafing against the rigid strictures of religious morality and staid suburban life that left them with no real outlet for their emotions, or any real direction for the future… and if that’s not a perfect recipe for “listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement” then I don’t know what is.

And while some may have questioned how “true” Der Weg Einer Freiheit‘s particular brand of intensely introspective, blast-driven Black Metal actually is… there’s no question that when it comes to exploring and expressing this internal strife and struggle (heck, their new album literally translates as “Inside”) they’ve never been afraid to take a stark, unflinching look at their own inner workings.

BEST OF BRITISH: ADUR / CULT BURIAL / TRUDGER

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Sep 082025

(Andy Synn has three more slabs of home-grown heaviness to recommend today)

If you’ve been keeping track recently you may have noticed a slight dip in my output frequency, mostly because I’m having to also focus on recording the last few vocals and bass-lines for our upcoming release (which we’re aiming to have out towards the end of November).

Unfortunately (for you, not so much for me) I’m likely going to be even more busy for the next few weeks, not only finishing off the recording process but also getting ready for my upcoming wedding so… well, I’ll do what I can to help keep the lights on around here, but you might be seeing even less from me for a little while.

That being said, I’m not going to let another opportunity to highlight some home-grown heroes pass me by, so prepare yourselves for three more delicious metallic morsels which represent the “Best of British”.

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