Disco de Sonic Syndicate: “Only Inhuman”

I got this album after seeing the video clip for Denied. The more I listen to this CD, the more I like it. I think they cross genres a bit but if you like heavy riffs, backing growls and some great drumming then you should like this cd. I think the combination of two vocal styles complement each other also.

Sonic Syndicate has always marveled me with their unique take on the metal subgenre "Melodic Death Metal". Despite claims from fans and critics alike, Sonic Syndicate still maintains to create Melodic Death Metal, just a style unlike other bands commonly displayed today. Sonic Syndicate can be described basically as a blend between In Flames, System Divide, Sylosis and Soilwork.

Like fellow Melodic Death Metal bands Sylosis, System Divide, and Soilwork, Sonic Syndicate does a unique spin on the genre, mixing heavy growls/screams, with more traditional sounding clean vocals. Sonic Syndicate is capable of pulling this off beautifully thanks to the groups two singers: Richard and Roland. The two vocalists find harmony in their voices throughout the songs, despite the differences in their singing styles.

The album starts off with the melodic, and catchy track "Aftermath". The song finds a nice balance between the two styles, allowing Richard to growl the majority of the verses and leaving Roland to perform the majority of the chorus alone (with Richard occasionally providing accompaniment in the background). It's a formula that Sonic Syndicate usually follows: harsh verses with clean choruses. The formula works precisely, just like the Pythagorean theorem, consistent, and exact.

Several songs venture away from this formula, and allow Roland to take more charge. "Enclave" is a track that consists of solely clean vocals, and the result is amazing. Roland is a very talented and capable singer, and "Enclave" does a great job of showcasing this. Transitioning from quiet, calm singing during the verses to a much more powerful refrain, makes "Enclave" one of the best tracks on the album, due to its intensity despite its difference and variation from the remainder of the album.

Stand out tracks include: "Denied", "Unknown Entity", "Aftermath", and "Psychic Suicide". The pace of these tracks is high tempo, and the blend between vocal styles is at its best in these songs. Sonic Syndicate never struggles to find an equilibrium between singing and growling, and the entire album "Only Inhuman" provides some of the band's best work to date. If you're a fan of Scar Symmetry, In Flames, Sylosis, Mors Principium Est, Soilwork, or Deadlock, you're bound to enjoy listening to this album.

I really loved this band when I first heard of them from Revolver Magazine, and I checked them out and immediately bought there album. It's been one of my favorites ever since.