Formed in Barcelona back in 2009, Syberia are an instrumental quartet named after the coldest region of Russia, Siberia, which in Turkish translates to “Asleep Land”. Quite fitting given how vast and sparsely inhabited it is, but we are not here to discuss geography. With one full length and an EP under their belts, the instrumental progressive metal outfit who appeal to fans of post metal, ambient and those who like their music to take them on an intriguing journey, they are back with a new album titled “Resiliency” which is claimed to document a spiritual and mental transformation depending on darkness and light. Let’s see what the guys turn into with this release.
With an initial opening shot of ambience, melodic bass and guitar lines joined by steady and solid sounding drums, all giving a Tool-esque sound, “Desertica” opens the album. The intricate, exotic sounding music starts to create a vast sonic landscape which yearns to be explored and when the distortion kicks in, it comes alive with a hugely dramatic feel to it. Heavy but melodic, laden with progressions which are both soaring and crushing, it continues at a steady pace and flows like a river winding its way over rocky terrain, shifting its form to find the path of least resistance and washing over you, leaving you awestruck.
“Aram Chaos” follows on with a tight, rich toned bassline which is warm, melodic and deep. With a massive sound, it expands on the opening track’s creation and keeps the fine balance between soaring and pounding with clever use of sound and dynamic shifts thanks to the synergy between each instrument. “Ashfall” has some intricate, clean arpeggio based melodic progressions and clever ambience to give a surreal feel to it, whilst “Hiraeth” is a track which builds up throughout. Using synth and guitar lines to create the gradual surging feel to an uplifting crescendo, the track reveals even more of this wonderful sonic landscape and gives the impression of standing there on a peak, surveying the lands below.
“Taunus” is a sprawling, epic length instrumental which has so many melodic peaks and pounding metallic crushing sections, it constantly keeps you engaged in its dynamic aural assault. With hypnotic instrumental sections like those Tool come up with and vast sounding moments a la My Sleeping Karma, it constantly transforms. Clever use of pacing and synths brings shades of the Ocean Machine era Devin Townsend and the overall atmospheric nature is something you need to listen to in order to understand what I mean.
“Black Olympics” follows on subtly from here with the atmospheric nature of the previous track but with a bit more of a kick in the metal sounding department. Melodically solid, well placed melodic leads, powerful rhythm work and intricate drums work well together, making the rhythm section shine out the most on this one. “Fortress” is a short track and is more of a refrain/transition from Black Olympics into the title track, “Resiliency”. It’s subtle sound and well structured approach bridges the gap but overall, it could have just been included in the end section of the previous track or as the intro to the following one.
“Resiliency” has a real uplifting feel to it from the off. The bass really rings out with a booming presence and it dictates the overall groove of the track, the way a bassline should. Clean melodic guitar lines have a real bright tone to them whilst the dark, rhythm orientated sections really add a dramatic touch where needed but the big epic build up near the end of the track is where the action is. With a massive feel generated by it, it caps the track off fantastically. “Heboren” is a faster paced, dynamic track which has a real uplifting feel to it. Massive sounds generated by the rapid fire lead guitar melodic lines have an empowering feel, and the solid rhythmic structuring is spot on.. Even when it calms into a cleaner, slightly hypnotic section which gives a building feel, it still has that uplifting feel to it, leading to a grandiose ending and paving the way for the final track of the album “Hyperion” which it shifts into perfectly. Heavier, slightly slower and darker, it thunders away initially, bringing back that lower register, vast sonic quality from the early Devin Townsend years sound, think “Funeral” or “Bastard” and you’ll see what I mean. It cleans up a little in the middle, with a slight melancholic edge to it and slower pace, shifting from slightly distorted to acoustic and ambient before it fades out into a droning ambient noise.
Overall, “Resiliency” is a stunning progressive, instrumental experience which lifts you up as high as it can before bringing you back down to earth and repeatedly doing so. Its vast sound and highly structured compositions have minimal flaws to them and the way it engages your senses and emotions as you listen to it is a sign of a high quality instrumental piece of music. To me it peaks in the middle of the album, but the way it progresses, that feels natural and right. Overall, this is essential listening for 2016 in my opinion.
(9/10 Fraggle)
Leave a Reply