Ireland's Syphor releases their debut full length album this year, 4 years after their formation. Being one of the first bands that I encounter from Ireland, this release certainly got me excited, not knowing can be expected from these Irishmen. However, with one look at the album title,
Stained Glass Blasphemy, hopes were high for yet another wild and blasphemous ride.
As the album opens with
Zombie Moon, one is instantly reminded of bands playing death/thrash metal in similar veins, in particular India's
Devoid, from the riffing patterns down to the vocal styles that remind listeners of the aforementioned band's Arun Iyer, though the production quality of the album falls under the rawer category. The similarity to
Devoid becomes even clearer with tracks like
War, with the introductory riffs sounding like a clean version of the intro of
Devoid's
Hate Cult, complete with the sound of the guitar pick scratching at the background before going into full-on headbanging mode.
Throughout the album the band displays their wide range of influences, from the thrashy riffs and face-ripping guitar solos that are unleashed upon the listneres' ears, to death metal styled guitar playing. The melodic and harmonised twin lead guitar solos such as those on
War also bring to mind the melodic death metal influences in the band's music. All Our Might might be one of the most aggressive track on the album, with the band going all out crushing all that dares to defy. The psychedelic first guitar solo also provides a trippy moment for the listener, though it sounds slightly out of place on the track. Know My Name further displays the abilities of the band to write songs that are aggressive, yet melodic and catchy at the same time. There is also a variation in the styles on tracks like
Loss of
Faith Divine, where the band begins fast yet slows down towards the middle of the track before speeding up again, with little awkwardness in the transition between these phases at all.
Darkness, with the background shouts by the rest of the band brings in an almost punk-ish feel to the music.
One thing that was slightly disappointing was that despite the blasphemous and aggressive album and song titles, the songs themselves, while displaying the talents of the individual members in the band and their tightness and songwriting abilities as a unit, at times unfortunately do not really live up to the hatefulness and spite of the titles. For example, the lead guitars on songs like
War sounded slightly too cheerful/calming (while
War typically brings to the minds of extreme metallers
Burzum's cold and bleak version), but this is just a small complaint with the quality of the music on the album.
While on first listen,
Stained Glass Blasphemy might not capture one's attention, when given repeated listens it starts to grow on the listener, and this could have worked well for the band as listeners begin to find appreciation for the album over time.
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