Originally called Asylum this Italian death metal band has released a debut album of technically inspired death metal that owes as much to Cynic as it does to the newer acrobatic guitar wizardry of bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse and Gorod. Personally technical death metal has always fallen left field of my radar as I prefer to be bludgeoned than tickled to death with fret board ingenuity and plain showing off. Starting with “He Came From The Sky” the sound is actually quite raw compared to most tech death metal these days, but the sideways movements in riffs and oblique U-turns in speed are trademarked in the genre here. The incorporation of jazzy bass lines showcases their Cynic side ably as the lengthy “Purification From Insanity” follows with a twisting yet brutal song that wraps itself into knots then spontaneously uncoils as ideas flow fluidly from one to the other. Synodik‘s style is fixated within catchy double kick driven rhythms spliced together with tech guitar hooks and solos. Like the first tune there are jazzy bass infusions that add another dimension to the already sizzling technical hot pot of creativity.
In places the riffing has touches of Kataklysm using a short catchy style before medium blast as on “City Of Falling Rain” which also boasts modern death metal sensibilities as well. I am tempted to say that Synodik are trying to cover all bases within the death metal framework and whilst it is true that the album is very varied it is also fair to say that flexibility is intrinsically embedded in the songs too. Surprise tune was “Speak To The Void” which has some craftily inserted keyboard elements and even has some decent clean vocals which work very well. Bands of this ilk always make instrumental offerings far more engaging with their piece being “Sidereal Month” a song closer to heavy metal than death metal with Devin overtones hinting at a wider listening spectrum by the band it appears. “Headshot” is what the title implies a deeply rugged song but sprinkled with a progressive stance not too unlike Xerath but without the pomposity. “Dehumanized” is a song from 2010 it seems and is quite Nile like in places but bursting with modern death metal flair.
A rather spacey feel greets you on “The Colour Out Of Space” before melodeath like riffing possessing that catchy angle as the keyboards continue their spacey effect in the background. The change in riff is almost a breakdown, I said almost, as the track leans into more proggy proficiency that I found rather quirky before the album closes with the title track and some rather nifty bass work. Again breakdown riffing is close to these ears but quickly dispersed with a medium double kick. After this the song swerves into a lingering lead that has a light distortion before relenting to a soft melody and growled vocal line. The riff that follows is very good, very grizzled and gritty in its tone. Much of this album fits within technical death metal but within its structure there are also some very idiosyncratic additions inserted into the songs that create an album with labyrinthine qualities.
(7.5/10 Martin Harris)
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