SYN:DROM - Iconoclasm

Second album for the Swedish gang, after their debut two years ago, and another sure step forward for their career. The band is playing Swedish Death Metal, with some Thrash elements to spice things up, and does it in the old fashioned way. This means that the music is as aggressive as it gets, a sonic mixture of growling vocals, distorted guitar riffs and solid drumming, blasting the ears of the listener. Although the band doesn't sacrifice melodies, no keyboards are used, something that makes their music more raw and primitive, and that will probably please all fans of Death Metal. There are no surprises in the arrangements, since the band follows a well known form, but there are moments where things are getting a bit more intriguing, and this shows that the band has ideas to explore. One of those moments are the distorted robotic-like vocals and electronics that give a more industrial touch in "Iconoclastic Views". But in general the album follows a certain musical path, and does that with such ease and devotion, that the fan stays speechless until the end. There is no single less good moment here, and the music flows until the last minute without becoming repetitive or boring, which is a plus for the whole album. The production is perfect, clear and powerful enough, preserving the feeling of the album and helping the music from becoming noisy. Sometimes fast and furious, some others slower but no less aggressive, this release is the equivalent of a continuous punch in the stomach. With each song, you try to recover, and then comes another to knock you down. If you are a fan of the band, or you fancy some good old Swedish Death Metal assault, then give these guys a listen.