Andy Synn Archives - NO CLEAN SINGING

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Feb 052026

(Andy Synn offers up 4 more albums from last month which you may have overlooked)

As I may have mentioned in yesterday’s article, it feels like I missed more than the usual number of albums in January… and while I know that it’s impossible for anyone to properly listen to, let alone review, everything that comes out each month (despite some hyperbolic claims to the contrary by certain online clout-chasers) this has still bothered me quite a bit.

After all, we’re only a month into the year and we’ve already managed to overlook the likes of Blackwater Holylight and Pâro, Ultima and Stabbing, Dagger Threat, Gavran and Juodvarnis (the latter two possibly being lined up for a future edition of The Synn Report each)… and countless others I’ve probably forgotten about already.

At the very least, however, the four vibrant and varied and (in their own way) visceral artists and albums I’ve selected to talk about today should keep you all busy while I work out what I’m going to write about this month!

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Album Reviews 1 Response »

Feb 032026

(Andy Synn selects 4 albums from last month that may have flown under your radar)

January of 2026 was a very busy month… not just in terms of the number of albums being released but on a personal level as well (did I mention I’ve got a brand new song out this Friday from my own band, being released as part of a massive charity compilation?).

As a result it feels like I missed out on covering more releases than usual last month, meaning that this is going to be the first of two separate “Things You May Have Missed” columns this week, as there’s simply too many albums (and I still won’t be covering everything I’d have liked to) requiring your (and my) attention to fit into just one article.

THE SYNN REPORT (PART 191): EXIMPERITUS

THE SYNN REPORT 3 Responses »

Feb 012026

Recommended for fans of: Nile, Mithras, Decrepit Birth

First off… no, I’m not going to be typing out the band’s full name.

For one thing, they’re mostly known by the shortened version, Eximperitus, anyway.

And, for another… c’mon people, there’s only so many hours in the day/days in the week/weeks in the month, and by the time I’d have finished typing it for the third or fourth time it would probably be mid-March.

Suffice it to say, however, that this band… by any other name… would still be as brutal, as technical, and as mind-bending, and more than capable of goig toe-to-toe with the likes of Origin or Wormed, Wormhole or Defeated Sanity, or absolutely any of the very best of the Brutal/Technical Death Metal scene.

SHORT BUT SWEET: GUYOĐ / LOW / NIGHTMARER

SHORT BUT SWEET No Responses »

Jan 282026

(Andy Synn recommends you carve out some time in your schedule to check out these 3 EPs)

Last year, after several years of promising – but, ultimately failing to deliver on those promises – I actually managed to listen to (significantly) more EPs than the year(s) prior.

So in 2026 I’m going to try and continue that trend – or, at the very least, try to stay about on a par with last year’s numbers – beginning with this terrifying triptych of deathly delights from Guyođ (AUT), Low (NL), and Nightmarer (US/DE).

TOMBSEEKER – TOMBSEEKER

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jan 272026

(Andy Synn presents some meaty Death Metal from an up-and-coming new band)

Well, I think it’s safe to say that 2026 is fully under way now and, while the year – in my opinion at least – has yet to produce an obvious early stand-out, there’s definitely been a bunch of good-to-great records already released, which bodes well for next 11 months or so.

Indeed, just by taking a quick glance at what’s coming up/coming out in the next few months (including a few extremely promising promos currently sitting in our inbox) I can tell you that there’s a lot to look forward to, and that’s without even taking into account whatever unexpected comebacks, surprise releases, brand-new debuts… and whatever other unnanounced albums that are yet to make an appearance.

Our plan, of course, is to cover as many of them as possible – though I’m sure there’ll be a vast array of albums which we’re simply not able to dedicate enough time to – and so, in that spirit, I thought I’d pen a few words about the recently-released self-titled debut from Kansas City crush-mongers Tombseeker.

SEVENGILL – PENUMBRA

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jan 222026

(Andy Synn takes a deep dive into the new album from Greece’s Sevengill, out now)

They say that you should never judge a book – or an album – by its cover.

And while I’ve yet to receive a satisfactory explanation of who “they” actually are – or, indeed, why any of us should listen to “them” – it’s been my experience that they’re not actually wrong.

After all, I’m sure we’ve all encountered an array of albums whose terrible/cheap/tacky (delete as appropriate) cover art has failed to reflect the actual quality of the music contained within (and vice versa).

That being said, an eye-catching album cover… such as, say, the one you can see above which adorns the front of the recently-released new album by Greek Post-Metal trio Sevengill… can definitely help capture the attention of potential new listeners before they’ve even heard a note.

ECTOVOID – IN UNREALITY’S COFFIN

Album Reviews 4 Responses »

Jan 192026

(Andy Synn gets his Death Metal on with the new album from Ectovoid, out now on Everlasting Spew)

Playing “Extreme Metal” – whatever your chosen flavour may be – is, as we all know, serious business.

That being said, it’s not a crime to have some fun while you’re doing it, and Birmingham, Alabamaniacs Ectovoid – whose line-up comprises members of serious death-dealers like Metaphobic, Father Befouled, and Seraphic Entombment – sound like they’re having an absolute blast (pun only marginally intended) on their recently-released third album, In Unreality’s Coffin.

PUSH! – PLOWING AHEAD

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jan 142026

(Andy Synn is plowing ahead with reviews in 2026, aided and abetted by the new one from Push!)

There’s a line in the song “Movie Night” by Aesop Rock that answers the question “What kind of dog is that?” with the words “That’s a mutt… it’s five-dogs-in-one.”

And while we can’t be sure exactly what breed the spiky hound adorning the cover of Plowing Ahead is, it’s clearly not a pure-bred.

But, then again, neither are Push!, as while the Portuguese quintet are definitely a Hardcore band – one with the likes of Born From Pain, Sworn Enemy, and Merauder in their auditory ancestry – there’s also at least some Metal in their DNA too, as the hybrid-vigour of their new album so plainly demonstrates.

KREATOR – KRUSHERS OF THE WORLD

Album Reviews 4 Responses »

Jan 082026

(Andy Synn has loved Kreator for a long time… but does he love their new album, out 16 January?)

Let’s get one thing straight… Krushers of the World is one of the best albums of the year so far.

Of course, we’re only 8 days into the year, so if you really think about it the above statement isn’t really saying much, but it’s a nice way to start the review, right?

Maybe it’ll be more helpful to say this… Kreator have been going for over 40(!) years now, and are considered living legends for a reason, but on their 16th(!!) album they somehow still come out swinging with the energy and intensity of a much, much younger band.

And, really, at this stage in their career, what more could you ask for than that?

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Album Reviews 3 Responses »

Jan 062026

(Andy Synn has not one, not four, but six albums from 2025 to recommend that may have passed you by)

We might be in a new year… in fact, I’m pretty sure we are… but that doesn’t mean we can leave 2025 behind without one last look at a few releases that might have flown under the radar.

Of course, you may also want to check out my extensive, five-part year-end assessment to find even more stuff to check out before 2026 really kicks into gear (and to help you out I’ve provided the relevant links below):

But before you do, make sure to give each of these artists/albums – which collectively cover a pretty good swathe of styles and genres – a chance, as you might just like what you hear!

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