Album Review: SINTHETIK - Concrescence Remastered

Above: Sinthetik's Concrescence EP

Artist: Sinthetik
From: Aurora/Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Album: Concrescence Remastered
Release Date: March 22, 2013
Genre: Progressive/Experimental/Psychedelic Metal

Songs:
1.Beginnings- (short intro)
2. Cause- 8/10
3. Effect- 7.5/10
4. Lucidity- 9/10
5. Surreal- 7/10
6. The Transition- 8/10
7. Zen- 8/10

Overall: A solid 8/10




Thoughts:
    In general, as someone who has never listened to Sinthetik before, I must say that overall I was quite impressed with the album. I felt that the album sounded very polished rather than raw, and I really liked the clean, seamless way all the songs sounded and flowed. I'd also have to say that the album was reminiscent of a mixture of Dream Theatre meets The Human Abstract.

     When I started to listen to "Concrescence", I was instantly sucked in. The first track on the album, "Beginnings", served as a 27 sec. introduction, which wasn't necessarily a song. However, it sounded very mystifying to me and kept me wanting to hear what would come next. Particularly, I was really fond of how such a calm introduction flowed into the second track, "Cause". It's as if the song was a wake up call from the slow, quiet introduction, getting the listeners blood pumping and head banging.

     "Cause" was like a burst of energy. It's where the listener finally gets to see the heaviness and guitar riffs that Sinthetik has to offer. From 2:25 until the end of the track, there was a repetitive guitar riff, but its repetitiveness wasn't mind-numbing. The riff transitioned into different points of the song, layered by different lead guitar and drums, and went from softer parts of the song, to heavier. The familiarity kept the song sounding catchy and toe tapping, while the riff added a dimension of interest to the song without boring the listener.

     Next was "Effect". On a side note, the ordering of the tracks was clever as "Cause" and "Effect" were chronologically placed. Not only was there good audio flow, but good track name flow too. Anyway, between "Cause" and "Effect", I preferred the latter. "Effect" did have a nice bass intro, with good passionate clean vocals, but with less excitement than "Cause". Perhaps this is just personal choice, but I do feel that "Effect" just didn't measure up to "Cause" since it didn't have that same toe-tapping, head banging effect on me.

     My personal favourite song on the album was "Lucidity". As the album's longest song at 6:48, this song never failed to keep me listening and enjoying. This is also one of the two songs on the album (as with "Zen") to feature a female guest vocalist. In the middle and towards the end of the song, the female vocalist sang, making a nice contrast between the powerful, high female voice with the heavy fast-paced instrumentals in the background. Another aspect I really favoured about this track is the quick abrasive choppiness of the drums. Some may find this unsettling, but it was one of the reasons I enjoyed "Lucidity", along with the songs many dips and turns of pace and rhythm.

     "Surreal" was my least favourite song on the album, but that doesn't mean it was bad. In contrast to the other songs, I found it rather repetitive and a tiny bit boring. The best part of the song was at 2:15 - the guitar solo. Call me a sucker for a guitar solo, but this gave "Surreal" a bit more of a wow factor. After all, who doesn't like a good guitar solo? It isn't a typical solo with crazy, elaborate shredding, but it is a point in the song where the guitar riffs and chords shine, with no vocals and simple drum beats.

     Again with the guitar solos, "The Transition" had my favourite solo on the album. Additionally, the synth at the conclusion of the song was as nice touch as there isn't much of it (if any) used on the album except for here. I compare it to the aftermath of a heavy storm - hearing the wild solo and heavy metal of the song, and ending it peacefully (well as peaceful as metal can get).

     All in all, I really enjoyed this album and had very little negative comments to say. I would definitely recommend it to any rock or metal lover.

Click here to download the album: http://www.mediafire.com/?751nl1kzk6akagm

Check out the band's official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SINTHETIKOFFICIAL?fref=ts 

Fall Out Boy Reunited and It Feels So Good

It's official: after a three-year hiatus, Fall Out Boy is officially back together.

"I'm really excited for it. It seems like so much longer that they've been hiatus," said Fall Out Boy fan Mallory Chate.

Fall Out Boy is releasing a new album called "Save Rock and Roll" on May 6/7, 2013, with the first single, "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)".


[Check out this cool link from Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/fall-out-boy-reunite-with-new-single-20130204?stop_mobi=yes]

Roaring for Dinosaur Jr.'s New Album: A Review

Dinosaur Jr. : I Bet On Sky

Genre: Alternative

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Tracks: 11

Tracks and Ratings:

1. Don't Pretend You Didn't Know (8.5/10)

2. Watch the Corners (8/10)

3. Almost Fare (8.5/10)

4. Stick a Toe In (7/10)

5. Rude (9/10)

6. I Know It Oh So Well (8/10)

7. Pierce the Morning Rain (9/10)

8. What Was That (8.5/10)

9. Recognition (7.5/10)

10. See It On Your Side (8/10)

11. Pond Song (Live) (9.5/10)

Average Rating: 83%

Thoughts:

      Dinosaur Jr. has just released their 10th album - I Bet On Sky. Featuring 11 tracks, and the original member lineup consisting of J.Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph, I Bet On Sky is a promising album.

     One of the album's highlights was "Pond Song" (Live). As a live recording, I found that it had a lot of energy. In fact, I felt like I could see them playing this song by just listening to the audio! The listener could sense the energy and passion of the song and still feel like they're at a Dinosaur Jr. concert. 

     Additionally, "Watch the Corners" and "Almost Fare" are similar to the band's old sound as far back as from the '90s. They teleport the listener back to the '90s, while still sounding up to date and current, which is a pleasing mix. Artists must mature, and their art often reflects that. This is the case for both of these songs. 

     Another appealing aspect to this album were the lyrics. For instance, in "Rude", there is a lyric that particularly stood out to me: "It's easier to think that if I could change, the world could change, that's not true." I felt that in its own way, it was relatable. Each listener will find a different interpretation of these lyrics, however to me, they have a relatable quality to them, which I enjoy. 

    A negative aspect of the album was that certain songs just did not appeal to me at all (see songs with lowest ratings). I either loved the songs, or found them mediocre. They seemed too dry, with no ups and downs to the music, and were quite repetitive.

     All in all, I recommend I Bet On Sky as it contains songs with toe-tappings beats, songs to listen to while you chill out, and songs that will make you energized. For a tenth album, these dinos have still got it.