Andy Synn Archives - Page 2 of 162

CURSEBINDER – PSYCHOHAZARD

Oct 162026

(Andy Synn recommends you all drive carefully, because there’s a Psychohazard ahead)

It was about three-and-a-half years ago, by my count, that I first wrote about excellently-named Polish “Post-Black” quartet Cursebinder just prior to the release of their debut album, Drifting (read all about it here).

Of course, a lot has changed in the world since then – some of it good, much of it bad, and a fair amount still largely inexplicable – and there’s no guarantee that the Cursebinder of 2026 (despite having managed the rare feat of maintaining a consistent line-up since they were formed) will still be the same band they were in 2023.

If anything, however, it seems like the group have only become more themselves – more confident, more collected, more creative – in the intervening years, with the result being that their new album (set for release one week from today on Avantgarde Music) is easily their most wide-ranging, yet also more cohesive, work yet.

GREAT FALLS – THE BITE THAT GROWS UP

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Oct 132026

(Andy Synn sinks his teeth into the new album from Great Falls, out this Friday)

It’s no secret that sludge-slinging noisemongers Great Falls were one of my highlights of this year’s edition of Northwest Terror Fest (FYI – tickets for NWTF 2027 are now on sale).

And while I was already at least passingly familiar with their ugly, unapologetically abrasive sound – all rough-hewn, splintery riffs, scraping, angular rhythms, and venomous, throat-scarring vocals – it was the raucous energy and raw intensity of their live performance which made them such a major stand-out.

The question now, of course, is whether – six albums deep into a 15+ year career of bleak, binge ‘n’ purge catharsis – they can still bring that same energy and intensity when the big red recording light goes on.

SHORT BUT SWEET: BACKSTABBED, CEASE, CULTURE VOID, THE FAULT OF MAN

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Oct 112026

(Andy Synn is still large and in charge this weekend, so here’s four more recommendations from him)

Islander is still AWOL I’m afraid (and, yes, there will be a court-martial when he gets back) so you’re stuck with me again for another day.

But don’t despair, as I’ve got four seriously tasty morsels of Hardcore/Metalcore/Deathcore to share with you today, running the gamut from unpredictably punky, anthemically metallic, to blisteringly nasty… so you might just say there’s something for (almost) everyone here today!

SHORT BUT SWEET: 1917, CISZA, HEXER, RANĂ

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Oct 102026

(Andy Synn is in charge today… woe unto us all)

These are dark days, my friends.

Our beloved overlord has abandoned us to go off and… checks notes… have something called “a social life”?

Which means it’s all up to little ol’ me to keep the site running this weekend while he’s off gallavanting around.

Thankfully I had not one but two “short but sweet” collections already in the works, which means we will still have some stuff to post this weekend… but you can be damn sure I’ll be having some stern words with Islander about his behaviour as soon as he gets back.

WOLFBRIGADE – HOWL FROM UNDERGROUND

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Oct 072026

(Andy Synn gets ready to run with the wolves again, ahead of the release of their new album this Friday)

There’s a commonly held belief… or a tacit acceptance, at least… that bands tend to mellow out as they get older.

Of course, those of us in the “extreme” scene know that this isn’t a universal truth by any means, even if there’s still an (understandable) tendency for a lot of bands to get a little slower, and a little more melodic and/or proggier, as they get age.

Legendary Swedish Crust-crew Wolfbrigade, however, don’t just disagree with this trend, they outright reject it, hence the title of the manifesto (“Notes on Failed Domestication“, which I think would have made an even better album title, to be honest) that accompanies their new record, describing it as:

“A signal flare for the hungry, the wild, the wicked. For the outlaws, the freaks, the punks and queers who see the world for what it is: a padded cell of screens and slogans, engineered to keep the body tame and the spirit numb.“

And, trust me, there’s nothing tame about this album.

TO THE GRAVE – LIBERATION FRONT

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Oct 052026

(Andy Synn heads into the slaughterhouse once again with Aussie antagonists To The Grave)

Sweet zombie jesus… this is a heavy fucking album.

And, to be quite honest, I could probably leave this review right there and end with a quick exhortation to “go listen to the damn thing if you don’t believe me” and call it a day.

But, considering the fact that I know the real reason you all come here is to imbibe my unique brand of trenchant insight and critical analysis… I suppose I’d better better drop at least a few more paragraphs about the absolutely monstrous new record from Down-Under Deathcore heavyweights To The Grave.

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

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Oct 012026

(Andy Synn has five recently, and one not-so-recently, released recommendations to share with you all today)

People sometimes ask me how I stay on top of all the new releases every month, and the answer is… I don’t.

Case in point, here’s some of the bands I wanted to write about in September… Profeci, Dreadnought, Trenchwar, Sea Sleeper, Quicksand, Vulgar Mephitis, Iskald, Wharflurch, Tombstalker… but simply wasn’t able to.

Still, I suppose that once you’re done reading today’s bumper crop of recommendations (all of which I’m really happy to have been able to include here) I’d recommend trying to find time to give at least some of them a listen, as you never know what you might discover/uncover!

THE SYNN REPORT (PART 199): HIPPOTRAKTOR

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Sep 302026

Recommended for fans of: Hacride, The Ocean, Benea Reach

As the person who’s largely been responsible for featuring Hippotraktor here in the past, it only made sense for me to be the one to write about their upcoming third album, Annihilist, which comes out this Friday.

And when I realised that this might well be the first time some listeners are encountering the band (the fact that they’ve been announced for this year’s Damnation Festival here in the UK has certainly helped increase their exposure too) it only made sense to pull together what I’d previously written, give it a bit of a tweak and polish, and then add some (hopefully) useful thoughts and insights about the new album, and call it this month’s edition of The Synn Report.

So if you like your music proggy-yet-punchy, complex-yet-catchy, heavily down-tuned but hauntingly melodic, then you should probably get to reading (and listening) all about these bombastic Belgians.

SPIRIT POSSESSION – CATHEDRAL SPEECH

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Sep 292026

(Andy Synn prepares to worship at the altar of Spirit Possession, whose new album is out on Friday)

Allow me to begin this review with a semi-spoiler, if I may?

Because, if nothing changes between now and December, there’s a very high likelihood that Spirit Possession‘s third album will be taking one of the highly-coveted slots in this year’s “Critical Top Ten”.

But, then, something like that has been on the cards for the Portland-based pairing of Steve Peacock (vocals/guitar) and Ash Spungin (drums) ever since their self-titled 2020 debut, with the subsequent release of 2023’s stunning Of the Sign… only serving to expose even more people to the band’s riveting and instantly recognisable blend of frenzied, finger-picked riffage and equally frenetic, effortlessly fluid, drum work.

And now, with the imminent release of Cathedral Speech, it feels as though the dynamic duo are, finally, right on the verge of being accepted as true masters of the black arts.

BEST OF BRITISH: JØTNARR / KULK / REMOTE VIEWING

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Sep 242026

(Andy Synn once more serves as our in-house ambassador for the UK Metal scene)

Like I’ve said before, many times, it’s impossible for any of us here at NCS to cover all the artists/albums we really want to, which means some hard choices have to be made each month.

This extends, obviously, to these irregular “Best of British” columns, as while I’d love to highlight each and every band from here that I think would be worthy of your time… I just don’t have the time myself to do so.

Case in point, I’m probably not going to be writing anything about the new albums from Green Lung (which is a good album, no doubt, but they already receive enough praise and attention elsewhere), Noctule (simply because I haven’t heard it), or Burner (which, to be totally honest, I thought was a massive disappointment, though I’m sure lots of people are going to love it), so you’ll just have to form your own opinions on those without my penetrating insights (I know, I’m so sorry).

The three bands I’ve chosen to cover here today, however, all have much less exposure, and all skew much more towards the harsher side of the sonic spectrum, which is why I thought it was more important to feature them than some of the more hyped-up members of the scene… a decision which, hopefully, you’ll all agree was the right one after checking them out.

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