Andy Synn Archives - Page 8 of 149

THE SYNN REPORT (PART 183): DROUTH

May 312025

Recommended for fans of: Abigail Williams, Weakling, Woe

Since I was lucky enough to attend another edition of Northwest Terror Fest this year it only seemed to make sense to me to dedicate this edition of The Synn Report to a band I was lucky enough to see for the first time at the festival a couple of years back.

Of course, this wasn’t my first exposure to the feral Black Metal ferocity of Portland’s Drouth, as I wrote some pretty positive things about their second album, Excerpts from a Dread Liturgy, back in 2020 (a review which I have partially cannibalised for this article), but getting to see them rip it up live in Seattle last year definitely increased my appreciation for their increasingly savage, scorching sound.

And what better way to show my appreciation than to feature all three of their albums, including their recently-released third full-length The Teeth of Time, in this month’s edition of The Synn Report?

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

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May 292025

(Andy Synn continues to play catch-up with everything he missed this month)

Oddly, but pleasingly, one thing which has come up a few times over the last few weeks is how much many people – from our regular readers to the bands we cover to various people in the industry – appreciate what we do here as, and I quote, a more “curated” experience than what some of the larger and more (in)famous sites provide.

And while I don’t disagree with this, it does slightly overestimate things… after all (and I hope I’m not giving away any trade secrets here) there’s definitely a degree of randomness (you might even call it “chaos”) to what we do here, since we only cover the things we like and which catch our ear(s) – regardless of any external pressures or inducements – each month.

Sure, sometimes there’s a bit of forward planning involved, but what you see and what you get here is most often the result of a spontaneous reaction to new music… which, I suppose, is how we like it!

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

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May 272025

(Andy Synn makes his first attempt at catching up with all the killer new releases from the last month)

As you may have noticed, my posting rate has been way down this month, mostly because I was off enjoying myself – first at Northwest Terror Fest in Seattle (after which I stuck around to hang out with the rest of the NCS crew and extended family) and then at Maryland Deathfest (which, as of writing this, ended about 15 hours ago, give or take) in Baltimore.

To make up for this I plan on doing not one, not two, but three editions of “Things You May Have Missed” for May, focussing on a hefty helping of artists/albums I would have written about if I’d not been so busy (and by “busy” I mean “busy having fun”).

As usual (though not always, to be fair) I’ve tried to cover as many bases, and as many different genres (and sub-genres), as possible in each article – variety is the spice of life, after all – in the hope of not only introducing some of you to your favourite new band or record but also, possibly, pushing you a little outside of your comfort zone and getting you to check out something you wouldn’t normally listen to.

So let’s begin, shall we?

CRUST – WHERE LIGHT FEARS TO DESCEND

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May 212025

(Andy Synn boldly goes… where light fears to descend)

Due to the fact that DGR and I have been spending the last week or so terrorising the mean streets of Seattle together, we’ve had a lot more time than usual to hang out, shoot the shit, and discuss important matters like art, music, and where to get our next beer.

And it was during these discussions where he raised the point that there’s a bunch of bands – quite a lot of them now, to be perfectly honest – that we’ve adopted as favourites here at NCS, to the point where we actively try to cover everything they do in the hope that other sites will also pick up on them and help give them more exposure.

As some of you may have already guessed, Black/Doom/Sludge coven Crust have been one of these bands for a fair number of years now, and with their new album set for release very soon – this Friday, in fact – now felt like a good time to once again try and give these devils their due.

RIVERS OF NIHIL – RIVERS OF NIHIL

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May 192025

(Andy Synn presents his thoughts on Rivers of Nihil‘s upcoming self-titled album, out 30 May.)

With Rivers of Nihil stating that their upcoming fifth album – which we’ll get to shortly – would involve a synthesis of ideas and elements from all four of their previous records (plus some new ones born from some significant line-up changes) I felt it might make sense to start this review off with a quick round-up of where I stand in relation to their discography so far.

Their underrated debut album, The Conscious Seed of Light, still holds a special place in my heart for the way it introduced me to the band and their nascent blend of rigid, biomechanical riffage and fluid, melodic embellishments, while the heavier, hookier, and more tightly-structured Monarchy remains, in my opinion at least, the most focussed and consistent release of their career (so far, anyway).

And while I understand the love a lot of people have for Where Owls Know My Name – which, with its proggier and more accessible vibes, was where a lot of fans fell in love with the band – to me it remains something of a mixed bag (half “killer”, half “filler”) with the more ambitious and even more progressive (not to mention divisive) approach of The Work representing a much bolder and more successful creative step in my opinion (even if a couple of tracks still didn’t quite… ahem… work).

So, with that in mind, here’s what I think of their eponymous fifth album, which comes out next week.

GENUNE – INFINITE PRESENCE

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May 152025

(Andy Synn returns to the site with praise for the new album from Romania’s Genune)

As you may be aware (or maybe not, it depends on how much attention you’ve been paying to the site recently) I’m currently over in the USA enjoying the post-festival relaxation period after this year’s edition of Northwest Terror Fest before then heading over to Baltimore to attend Maryland Deathfest.

As a result I haven’t been doing much in the way of writing/reviewing… heck, I haven’t been online all that much at all… and have just been focussing on hanging out with some friends and listening to music purely for the enjoyment of doing so.

That being said, I do have a few things in mind for the next couple of weeks (including one highly-anticipated new release that’s guaranteed to be one of the best albums of the year), with the following review for the upcoming third album from Genune (out this Friday on Consouling Sounds) marking the end to my short (but necessary) hiatus.

SHORT BUT SWEET: ANCST / CAPITALIST / MELTING / OSTRACA

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May 082025

(Andy Synn highlights four recent EPs he thinks you need to hear)

Today’s collection of “short but sweet” reviews features four ripping releases from across the ‘core spectrum – from blazing Blackened Metalcore and filthy, fire-breathing Crust to monstrous, Death Metal-influenced Metallic Hardcore and visceral Post-Screamo violence – which serve to remind us all that this sort of music truly lives in the moment, delivering a short, sharp (but also sweet) shock to the system devoid of pretense or pretention, each of them possessing an immediacy and intensity, as well as a sense of individuality, which makes them impossible to ignore.

Well, that’s how I feel anyway. Let’s see if you do too.

BEST OF BRITISH: ACCEPTANCE / EMPLOYED TO SERVE / KNIVES

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May 072025

(Andy Synn is hoping for even bigger things for all three of these bands)

If everything has gone to plan, while you’re reading this I’m going to be in Seattle getting ready to attend another edition of Northwest Terror Fest.

And if something goes wrong?

Well, at least you’ll have this edition of “The Best of British” to remember me by.

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Album Reviews 1 Response »

May 052025

(Andy Synn highlights four album from April which may have flown under your radar)

Look, I don’t have time to talk about everything I/we missed last month, so once you’re done reading about the four bands featured here today I recommend you go check out the latest releases from Felgrave, Supreme Void, Tigerleech, and Zeicrydeus… all of whom I wanted to write about, but couldn’t find time/space for (I could easily have done a second article on them, and maybe even a third for everyone I still haven’t mentioned).

But before then… enjoy this collection of four devastatingly dark and hellishly heavy albums from last month. You might just discover your new favourite!

THE SYNN REPORT (PART 182): INOCULATION

THE SYNN REPORT 1 Response »

May 012025

Recommended for fans of: Ulthar, Mithras, Cryptopsy

It honestly amazes me that we’ve never written about Inoculation before, outside of a few passing mentions here and there.

But with the recent release of their third album, Actuality, a few weeks ago now seems like the perfect time to address this terrible injustice.

You see, while the majority of the US Death Metal scene is currently (and, perhaps understandably) obsessed with the “New Wave of American Death Metal” (the most prominent names of which I’m sure you’re all aware) that updates and upgrades the classic OSDM sound for more modern ears, this crushing Cleveland trio – who firmed up and finalised their line-up in 2016, and released their first full-length in 2018 – draw just as much (if not more) influence from the late 90s/early 00s explosion of Brutal/Technical Death Metal bands.

That’s not to say that keen ears won’t be able to detect the influence of the likes of Death and Deicide here and there, but I’d argue that its bands like Demilich and Deeds of Flesh whose DNA has the most dominant impact on the band’s ultimate sound (especially after they shook off those early growing pains after their debut).

But don’t just take my word for it… give the band’s collective output a listen below and hear for yourselves (and, if you’re of a mind to, check out what else I’ve written too).

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