Andy Synn Archives - Page 144 of 160

JONESTOWN: “AOKIGAHARA”

Mar 112016

(Heres Andy Synn’s review of the new album by Jonestown, a UK band from Brighton, England.)

One of my resolutions for this year, if you can call it that, was to make more time for bands who I’ve previously checked out but who, for whatever reason, never really clicked with me. As a matter of fact I’ve got a half-written column on his very subject that I really need to get finished sometime soon…

Anyway, Brighton-based nihilists Jonestown are one such band, whose previous release, The Erebus and The Terror, definitely showed a lot of potential, but just didn’t seem to have the right x-factor to make its way into my regular rotation.

It did, however, make enough of an impression on me that when the promo for the band’s full-length debut made itself known in the NCS inbox I jumped at the chance to see if the quartet had managed to fully capitalise on the promise of their debut.

And, oh boy, did they ever. Continue reading »

LORD MANTIS: “NICE TEETH WHORE”

Album Reviews 3 Responses »

Mar 082016

(Andy Synn reviews the new EP by Lord Mantis.)

Here at NCS we really try our best to stay out of all the inter- and intra- band drama that goes on within the metal scene, and that goes double when we’re friendly/familiar with some of the parties involved.

Still, I have to acknowledge that it’s practically impossible to talk about the new Lord Mantis EP without addressing the acrimonious, and very public, split that occurred in the band’s ranks not long after the release of 2014’s phenomenal Death Mask, with both Charlie Fell and Ken Sorceron decisively cutting ties with the group, even as drummer Bill Baumgardner and guitarist Andrew Markuszewski vowed to continue on without them.

As a result of this division, lines were drawn, sides were chosen, old alliances torn asunder… with fans on both sides of the divide pulled (willingly or otherwise) into one very un-civil war.

But, despite all this, the one question which matters more than any other is… how does the music on Nice Teeth Whore stack up to the band’s previous releases? Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: TURBID NORTH

Interviews 2 Responses »

Mar 072016

(Here’s Andy Synn’s interview with the members of Turbid North, a band originally from Alaska and now based in Texas, whose albums were the subject of a SYNN REPORT in January [here] and whose 2015 full-length Eyes Alive received special praise.)

Hello gentlemen, for the benefit of those unfamiliar with the band, would you care to introduce yourselves to our audience at home?

Nick Forkel – Guitar, Vocals
Chris O’ Toole – Bass, Vocals
Jono Garrett – Drums Continue reading »

THE KING IS BLIND: “OUR FATHER”

Album Reviews 3 Responses »

Mar 022016

(Andy Synn reviews the debut album by The King Is Blind, released in January by Cacophonous Records.)

Going into this review I was, for some reason, under the strong impression that I’d covered UK Death Metal types The King Is Blind before here at NCS. However, a quick search revealed only a cursory mention of the band here and there and, as it turns out, the last time I wrote about them at any sort of length was for Terrorizer over a year and a half ago… oh, the humanity!

Thankfully, the release of the band’s debut album Our Father affords me an opportunity to correct this egregious oversight, as the Essex quintet have come out all guns blazing with this one! Continue reading »

SHORT BUT SWEET: SYNODIK — “A MATTER OF PERCEPTION”

Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET 2 Responses »

Mar 012016

(Andy Synn reviews the latest release by the Italian band Synodik.)

It was way back in 2012 when itinerant Italian Tech-Death types Synodik released their debut album, which largely flew under the radar for most people (including yours truly). In fact I almost missed out on their latest EP as well, seeing as how it was actually released over 12 months ago now, and I honestly only stumbled across its existence by pure chance.

You’ll be thankful I did though as, despite the fact that it’s only a mere three tracks long (one introduction, and two full songs), there’s a lot here to satisfy even the most discerning of Progressive/Technical Death Metal aficionados… and hopefully grab the band a few new fans in the process. Continue reading »

THE SYNN REPORT, PART 69: ORANSSI PAZUZU

Album Reviews, THE SYNN REPORT 3 Responses »

Feb 262016

(In this new edition of THE SYNN REPORT, Andy Synn has picked a fine day to review the discography-to-date of Finnish marvels Oranssi Pazuzu — including the band’s brand new album that’s due for release today, for which we have a full album stream for you to hear.)

Recommended for fans of: Nachtmystium, (mid-period) Enslaved, Killing Joke

After two more Death Metal leaning editions of The Synn Report, I think it’s time to take things in a… different… direction. And, if there’s one thing that can be said about Oranssi Pazuzu it’s that they’re definitely “different”.

After all, the Finnish quintet have never been your stereotypical Black Metal act and have rarely, if ever, played up to the expectations of their audience. Over the course of the last 9-or-so years the quintet have released three (now four) critically applauded albums fusing the base elements of Black Metal with massive injections of proggy psychedelia and surrealistic sonic experimentation, constantly pushing their sound in ever more unusual, unconventional directions.

With their fourth full-length album Värähtelijä set for release today, now seemed like the perfect time to suit up and take a trip out into the void in the company of these Finnish cosmonauts! Continue reading »

GOMORRAH: “THE HARUSPEX”

Album Reviews 8 Responses »

Feb 242016

(Andy Synn reviews the new album by Gomorrah from western Canada. Full music stream included.)

Are you a fan of Origin? Cattle Decapitation? Carnifex? Blood Red Throne?

How about massive, mechanised Death Metal with hints of Deathcore brutality and a poisonous undercurrent of blackened, industrial effluent?

Then do I have an album for you… Continue reading »

COBALT: “SLOW FOREVER”

Album Reviews 12 Responses »

Feb 222016

(Andy Synn reviews the eagerly awaited new album by Cobalt.)

Where to start with this one? Obviously the dead horse of the Erik Wunder/Phil McSorley split has been comprehensively beaten to a pulp and rendered down for glue by this point… so let’s not get into that whole ordeal again.

No, I think we have more important issues to consider, not least of which is the question of whether or not Slow Forever, the first new Cobalt album in seven long years, successfully lives up to the band’s hard-won and well-earned legacy.

And our survey says… Continue reading »

GARGANJUA: “A VOYAGE IN SOLITUDE”

Album Reviews 9 Responses »

Feb 192016

(Andy Synn reviews the debut album by Britain’s Garganjua.)

One of the best things about writing for NoCleanSinging – apart from the fame, the drugs, the fast cars, the easy women – is just how much freedom we get here to write about whatever we feel like (within reason), with no-one dictating to us what we have to cover, or when. Instead we’re largely left to our own devices, free to follow our passions or simply see where our listening takes us.

As a result we often stumble across stuff unexpectedly, so it’s almost impossible to predict, week-in and week-out, precisely what we might be writing about, with any reasonable degree of accuracy.

Today’s review is a case in point, as I discovered the doomy delights of Garganjua purely by accident over the weekend, drawn-in by the eye-catching artwork which adorns the cover of this, their self-titled debut album. Continue reading »

OCEANS OF SLUMBER: “WINTER”

Album Reviews, Exceptions to the Rule 4 Responses »

Feb 152016

(Andy Synn reviews the new album by Houston’s Oceans of Slumber.)

WARNING – EXTREME AMOUNTS OF CLEAN SINGING AHEAD

Ahem, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let me just say that I’ve honestly fallen in love with this album after being introduced to it by the Angry Metal Guy himself a few weeks back. And whilst it’s not 100% perfect, there’s definitely something special, and truly unique, about Winter.

Rather than racing out of the gate and grabbing you by the throat, the album opts instead for a sublime slow-burn, beginning with the sombre, slowly unfurling strains of its title-track whose gleaming fretwork and subtle, progressive drumming provide a languid canvas upon which the utterly astounding and captivating vocals of Cammie Gilbert take centre stage.

It’s several minutes before the band unveil their heavier side, dropping into a sonorous, distortion-soaked groove, layered with scintillating, shamelessly progressive lead guitar work and gorgeous atmospheric touches and interspersed with some impressively gruff, pseudo-melodic vocals and rough-hewn growls, which play off against Gilbert’s silken tones perfectly, as the song builds to a stunningly powerful, Prog-Death denouement.

It’s quite unlike anything else I’ve heard in some time, and provides a perfect example of the album’s distinctive blend of proggy intricacy and metallic intensity. Continue reading »

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