Sonic Syndicate

Eden Fire
Pivitol Recordings

10 tracks; 42:50

Staying true to their Swedish heritage, SONIC SYNDICATE nails that "Gothenburg" sound like it's in their blood. So, they indubitably sound quite a bit like Whoracle-era In Flames meets Dark Tranquility. And there ain't nothin' wrong with that. Except that, melodically, it's quite a bit poppier than that (i.e. "Pop Metal"). Therefore, the guitars, for instance, instead of driving the sound, tend to act as more of an accompaniment to the vocals, which invariably lead to the "catchy" choruses alongside thin, sparse riffage. And structurally, it's significantly less interesting, harnessing a formulaic and predicable songwriting approach with an abusive exploitation of repetition. It's pretty generic stuff.

Apparently, this album is broken down into three conceptual segments. Unfortunately, lyrics aren't included in the liner, so I'm unable to comment in this respect. (Since this is the case, I can't help but have my doubts!)

The band's heavily paraded shtick is "members are very young, ranging from only 17 to 22 years old". Now, please excuse me, but am I supposed to give a flying shit how old the players are? Or is this song and dance just so that they have an excuse up their sleeve when somebody is discussing their creative and / or technical weaknesses? And I'll tell you another thing: there are many, many bands out there with members in that age group. Gimme a break. You are not special, children!

That being said, the whole line-up is technically not bad. Most notably, the singer does indeed have a pretty good voice for death vocals. And the production job is very good. In addition, the cover art is really nice.

In total, this is an alright first effort. If this troupe is able to stay together over the long haul - long enough to discover and chisel out an identity of their own - we may be in for some good stuff ahead.

Regan Perlett