Andy Synn Archives - Page 38 of 160

SANTACREU – CANÇONS D’AMOR, DOL I ENYORANÇA

Jan 172024

(Andy Synn has fallen in love with Santacreu‘s recently-released debut album, and hopes you will too)

While we’re still in a slightly odd place here at NCS, what with Islander still being held hostage (by his day job), I’d say that DGR and I have managed to keep the lights on and the content flowing pretty well so far.

And while he’s got his eyes and ears attuned to a few albums coming out next week, I’m looking the other way and highlighting a few albums we missed last week that I think deserve your attention.

Case in point, Cançons d’Amor, Dol i Enyorança is the debut album from cinematic Spanish Post-Metal collective Santacreu, and quite possibly (nay, probably) the first (or, at least, one of the first) albums we’ve ever reviewed sung (and I do mean sung) entirely in Catalan.

It’s a moving, multi-faceted and frequently mesmerising piece of work, from start to finish, and one which should find a lot of favour amongst the more atmospherically and/or melodically inclined of our readers.

ὉΠΛΊΤΗΣ – ΠΑΡΑΜΑΙΝΟΜΈΝΗ

Album Reviews 4 Responses »

Jan 152024

(Andy Synn reviews the recently-released new album from mysterious one-man army Ὁπλίτης)

It is, quite frankly, somewhat astonishing how productive Liu Zhenyang, aka Ὁπλίτης, has been since the release of their debut EP in the closing days of 2021.

What’s even more astonishing is that, despite its prolific nature, the quality of their output has never wavered over the course of the subsequent three albums (some might say they’ve only gotten better, in fact).

Each time a new record rears its head part of me expects to be disappointed – surely they can’t maintain this consistent a level of quality, at this rapid a pace, forever – and each time I’m happy to be proven wrong.

And now, barely a year on from the release of their very first full-length, Ὁπλίτης may have already locked down a place on my End of The Year list with their fourth album, Παραμαινομένη.

ENGULF – THE DYING PLANET WEEPS

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jan 042024

(Andy Synn turns his attention to the highly-anticipated debut album from Engulf, out 12 January)

There are two well-known truisms which spring to mind when listening to The Dying Planet Weeps.

The first is that “good artists borrow, great artists steal” – which states that while good artists borrow ideas from their influences, while still owing them a debt, the great ones simply take what they need and make it their own.

The other is that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” (or, more accurately, “the whole is something besides the parts”, in its more accurate translation) – which is to suggest that defining the essence of something is about more than just describing the individual elements it’s made of.

And, make no mistake about it, while Engulf (aka New Jersey native Hal Microutsicos) assuredly steal from some of the very best here – you’ll find bits and pieces purloined from the likes of Morbid Angel, Immolation, Pestilence and Gorguts, and more besides, woven throughout The Dying Planet Weeps – the final product is certainly more than just the sum of these iconic inspirations.

RESIN TOMB – CEREBRAL PURGATORY

Album Reviews 3 Responses »

Jan 022024

(Andy Synn kicks off the new year in style with down-under death-dealers Resin Tomb)

Almost exactly twelve months ago my first review of 2023 was for the debut album by an Australian band (whose previous EP had already impressed me) which I declared the first truly great Death Metal record of the year.

And while they say (quite incorrectly, as it turns out) that lightning never strikes twice and that history never repeats… here we are again in precisely the same situation.

THE SYNN REPORT (PART 166): TORPOR

THE SYNN REPORT No Responses »

Dec 292023

Recommended for fans of: Neurosis, LLNN, Cult of Occult

Traditionally the last post from me every month is a new edition of The Synn Report, and since it’s December that makes this one my last post of the entire year.

The group I’ve selected this time around straddle the nexus point between Sludge, Post-Metal, and Doom and have, over the course of three albums (the most recent of which, released in September of this year, was so close to making it onto my “Critical Top Ten” that leaving it off the list actually caused me physical pain) built themselves up a reputation as one of the heaviest, and best, bands in the UK.

So please, allow me to introduce you to UK trio Torpor.

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Album Reviews 2 Responses »

Dec 282023

(Andy Synn delivers one final retrospective on albums from 2023 you may have overlooked)

Hey everyone, I’m back, feeling fully refreshed and ready to rumble after my week (and a bit) hiatus.

Before I get fully stuck into 2024’s upcoming slate of releases I’ve got two more pieces for 2023 for you all to enjoy – namely my last Synn Report of the year (coming on Friday) and this extra-big edition of “Things You May Have Missed”.

Now unlike previous editions, this one won’t just be focussing on albums from the last month (though there’s seven – I think – albums from December featured here) but will also take a look back at certain albums from the past year that I either didn’t get the chance to cover at the time, didn’t discover until much later, or just wanted to highlight one more time for people to check out.

Of course, even so there’s more artists and albums I wanted to include than I had space or time for – so I’d urge you, if you have any extra time, to check out the new Moonreich (which almost made my “Personal Top Ten“, Rosa Faenskap (which did) and Witch Ripper (which I know was on my “Critical Top Ten“, but still seems to have flown under a few radars) – but first, feel free to go through everything I’ve featured here (which I’ve broken up into separate sub-categories) and check out a few things you may have missed!

2023 – A YEAR IN REVIEW(S): THE PERSONAL TOP TEN

LISTMANIA 2023 25 Responses »

Dec 152023

(Andy Synn finishes off “List Week” with his ten favourite albums of the year)

For whatever reason, this time around much of my “personal” list – which features the ten albums which I’m not claiming to be the “best” of the year, but are definitely amongst my favourites – is made up of new albums by new discoveries, either because the band themselves are fresh onto the scene or because this is simply my first time encountering them.

On the one hand this perhaps reflects my general dissatisfaction with a lot of the more hyped up and/or famous names (not that they were bad, just that they really didn’t do anything for me this year), but I prefer to see it as a good thing, because it means that I am (hopefully) guaranteed even more great stuff from a bunch of fresh new faces with a bright future ahead of them!

Slimming this list down to just 10 albums wasn’t an easy task by any means, but while some well-deserved “honourable mentions” should go to the likes of Downfall of Gaia, Dying Wish, Morokh, Mercenary, and Miserere Luminis (all of whom were in strong contention), in the end… well, there can be only ten!

2023 – A YEAR IN REVIEW(S): THE CRITICAL TOP TEN

LISTMANIA 2023 15 Responses »

Dec 142023

(Andy Synn attempts to capture the venom, vitality, and variety of the year in just ten albums)

Of everything I’ve published so far during this year’s List Week this one is the closest so far to what you might call your “typical” end of year list. Although, even then, it’s still a little different than what you might expect.

Case in point, although I’ve limited it to just ten albums (which, let me be clear, is never, ever enough, as there’s at least one more album… cough, Torpor, cough… I really wanted to include here) it’s pointedly not a ranked list like most of the others you’ll probably have seen.

No, the key idea here is – because it’s impossible for any one writer to craft a truly definitive list of the “Best” albums of the year – is to present ten releases from the last twelve months to serve as prime examples of the best the year had to offer, while attempting to represent as wide a cross-section of styles and sub-genres as possible (sometimes within the same album).

It’s a subtle distinction, true, but an important one all the same, and it’s my hope that in five years, ten years, fifteen, I’ll be able to look back on the selections I’ve made here and appreciate just how good 2023 was.

So, without further ado, here’s the ten albums, many of which I don’t think have received anywhere near the amount of attention and acclaim they deserve – plus a bonus entry for each, just in case you’re already familiar with my main choice – which I have chosen for my “Critical Top Ten”.

2023 – A YEAR IN REVIEW(S): THE GREAT

LISTMANIA 2023 26 Responses »

Dec 132023

(Andy Synn skims off the cream of the crop for your delectation)

So here we are, the top-tier of 2023 (in my opinion, at least, whatever that’s worth).

Now I need to stress, again, that these lists, while certainly extensive (there were well over 200 entries on yesterday’s “Good” list, and another 100-ish here) are in no way comprehensive, and there’s lots of stuff I will have missed out on or just wasn’t feeling enough to want to write about.

But while this means, obviously, that there’s going to be some notable omissions, wouldn’t you prefer it if I continued to use my limited time to focus more on stuff that I really liked and/or stuff that I think deserved more exposure, rather than just covering the exact same artists and albums who just happen to receive lots of attention and coverage elsewhere?

One thing you’ll possibly notice going through this article is an overarching “proggy” vibe running through a lot of the albums I’ve selected for my “Great” list. For whatever reason, 2023 just felt like a year where the more “progressive” side of the genre (and related sub-genres) really came to the fore.

That doesn’t mean, however, that there aren’t just some straightforward killers, crushers, and straight-up face-melters here too. After all, “greatness” comes in many forms, after all, and you don’t need to to try and reinvent the wheel or push the envelope in order to make something great!

2023 – A YEAR IN REVIEW(S): THE GOOD

LISTMANIA 2023 21 Responses »

Dec 122023

(Andy Synn continues his annual retrospective with a collection of links and recommendations)

Every year, pretty much without fail, someone – either in the comments here or on social media – gets weirdly mad about List Week.

Either they seem to think that I’m lying (although, why would I?) or, even worse, bragging (again, why?) about the albums/artists I’ve listened to.

Here’s the thing though – this isn’t about me. It’s about providing our readers, many of whom don’t have as much time as do to keep up with everything that’s released each year (and I still miss more than I catch) with a one-stop-shop of links they can bookmark – broken up by category/sub-genre – and listen to if/when they get the chance.

Today’s list, the “Good” list, is the biggest and widest-ranging one of the week, running the gamut from albums which were generally enjoyable, albeit flawed, to albums which only narrowly missed out on my “Great” list, and everything in between.

Obviously it’s in no way comprehensive, so before you start asking “but what about [x]?” remember that a) it’s impossible for any site, let alone any individual writer, to listen to and cover absolutely everything that comes out in any given year, and b) there’s still my list of the “Great” albums, the top-tier of the year, yet to come!

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