Syn:Drom
With Flesh Unbound
7.3
Were Nile to be stripped of its sometimes excessive technicality and forced to tone down the ancient vibe a smidge, it would not be far from sounding something like With Flesh Unbound, Syn:Drom’s debut. If that strikes you as charm waving the white flag, you would be half right.
Creeping, bludgeoning death metal is not something on particularly short supply, but this Swedish quintet does it exceptionally well. There’s a heft to their sound that might not otherwise be possible were it not for the fact that they boast not one, but two rather talented guitarists. It definitely adds another dimension. You’ll notice a lot of cool layering that will remind you of the above-mentioned American band. But all the songs are quite short here, so while there’s less room to experiment, there’s also a more instant connection to the music and the groove of the record.
Repeated listens will reveal no less punch to With Flesh Unbound. As a collective, this group is adept at writing songs that click in a way not often heard from death metal bands that don’t resort to a mostly chugging pace. The production is muffled at times, which holds a more chaotic track like “Trapped Beyond” from taking flight as it should, but the thickness seems to match the spirit of the band, so all is not lost in the mix.
Given this is their first full-length, Syn:Drom have at least proven themselves worthy of some notice. With some slight tinkering in the studio and more atmospheric experimentation, I could see a follow-up taking off.
