These Italian death metallers have only been on the scene for 4 years forming after previous band Underhate disbanded .  In 2009 they released their first self titled demo and now in 2012 they’ve finally made their first album Expiation.

‘The Iron Stream’ has a superb intro… spooky piano notes come first then it punches you in the face with some very original riffs… splendid! The vocals are insane, deep and growly. The only let down on this are the screaming vocals. It’s good enough without them. Halfway through I’m thinking the CD is scratched as it went all messed up… apparently though this is how it’s supposed to sound. So I’ll ignore that episode. I love how it all slows down and then quickly changes into a fast pace. Some bands do this and its sounds crap. Synapses have pulled it off. The next track ‘No Ruins Left Behind’ contains some equally impressive riffs. The drum sound is a little tinny but the awesomeness of the track outweighs that by far!  With ‘Rapture of Terror’ however, I’m starting to feel the tracks are a little too similar.

Luckily, “Under the Vault of the Hands of Gods” changes my mind.  Still insane? Yes!, but it offers up so much more with the drum rolls and perfect windmilling riffs. OK, there’s the odd bits in there that makes you think…. What the fuck was that? But still its brill! ‘Tower of Flesh’ fucks your ears up with some brutal drumming and groovy face melting riffage.

Another belter on the album is ‘Blood in My Dreams’ due to the drumming patterns and bouncy riffs. The vocals go really well on this one.  Even the screaming bits are tolerable. ‘Deformed Trunk’ is just too f**ked up. The drums are all over the show, the riffs are flying about the place…. no good! However, saved by the last track ‘The Curse of Extinction’ the superb intro … Think Candlemass!! Doomy, dark, a little terrifying! Love it!… and a minute in it just gets better, faster and more interesting. In fact, I’d be one happy bunny if the whole album had stuff like this on it.

A great listen and a must have for any death metal fan. The production work is near perfect and the CD case is equally as cool… some fucked up bug man?! Ok it works..

(7/10 Charlene Rance)

http://www.myspace.com/synapsesnet