Sinsaenum is the brain child of Dragonforce bassist, Frederic Leclercq, who back in 2010 formulated some ideas to create a death metal beast. These ideas weren’t cemented into the metal worlds foundations until 2016, when Stephane Buriez, of Loudblast, and Joey Jordison of Murderdolls and Slipknot fame, amongst others, (as if he really needs any introductions) joined the troop, and together, along with Helmoth , Sean Zatorsky (Daath) and Attila Csihar (Mayhem, Tormentor, ex Aborym, ex Keep of Kalessin), unleashed their first EP, ‘A Taste Of Sin’, onto the world, under the moniker of Sinsaenum, which is a name Jordison came up with, and is a fitting combination of the words “sin” and “insane”.
This horde could be labelled as a super group and you would be hard pushed to argue against it, and together they hold a pedigree which would have any respectable musician, and fan alike, salivating at the CV of the work they have put in, as live and studio musicians alike, with the powerhouses such as Metallica, Ministry, Satyricon, Korn, Rob Zombie, Machine Head, Sabaton, Sunn O.
Prior to this release, they have released 3 EP’s and a full length and it’s now time to present their latest opus, ‘Repulsion For Humanity’.
‘Repulsion For Humanity’ opens up with the title track, and from the offset there are distinctive Slipknot esque undertones, which accompany the ferocious beats, and venomous spitting vocals, which pummel from the offset. The drums offer a sturdy backbone, and the guitar work is intricate and catchy in its makeup. The vocals become repetitive and laboured, but the dual vocal efforts from Zatorsky and Csihar work well, and both seem to be dragging the other into the bowels of hell with the venom and malevolency with which they spit the lyrics out.
‘Final Resolve’ is doomier and plodding, and is more in line with the style of death metal giants Immolation or Deicide. The vocals are malevolent and vicious, and the drums not only own the carcass of this track, but they are so prominent they also verge on owning the soul of the track too. Jordison is a master of his craft, and the true beauty of the album is portrayed through the shift he puts in behind the kit.
‘Sworn To Hell’ sees the guitars of Buriez and Leclercq take more of a lead, and the track has more character about it, mixing the tempos up and opening the listener to a plethora of beats and rhythms.
‘I Stand Alone’ slows down the proceedings and allows for a more spoken word take on the vocals, until Zatorskys vocals kick in again, and they end up following the same recipe as previously exhibited.
I could dissect the album, track by track, even more, but I would be at fear of massive repetition. The album continues along the same demented twisted path throughout, without much deviation in style or substance, with the vocals being competent and powerful in their delivery throughout. The band lean towards the slower, doomier end of the death metal spectrum, massively giving a courteous nod to Csihars other world, of the well-respected Drone masters Sunn O, and at times they throw in a shade of blackness to demonise the aura of the album,. The death metal on show in the album is well and truly leaning towards the style of Deicide and Aeon, brutal and bludgeoning, but at times the release is blackened with sprinklings and elements of the dark arts, which conjure up images of Satyricon and Gorgoroth.
As majestic and powerful as the release is, from these masters of their own individual arts, I just can’t seem to get my head away from the fact that there are undercurrents which definitely conjure up images of Slipknot and Chimaira from days gone by.
(6/10 Phil Pountney)
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