Syntech – Shadows Above Me (CD Album – Hands)
Genre/Influences: Industrial-tribal, industrial-cinematic.
Background/Info: We had to wait five years to get the fifth album by Syntech. Steffen Lehmann has been really prolific this year as next to the new Greyhound-album he also gets back to Syntech.
Content: Syntech is totally different from Greyhound although both projects will for sure appeal for industrial music lovers. This project is more characterized by tribal patterns and that’s again what this new work offers. We get a rather constant industrial-tribal exposure, which is intermixed with a few more elements. From slower rhythmic passages to heavier pieces at the end of the work, this album covers a wide spectrum of industrial music. The beauty of the work is often hidden in details, which makes the refinement of the work.
+ + + : Syntech is back and that’s a damned good thing. I always have liked this project for its tribal approach, which is rather rare in the industrial scene. So the music remains original! The tracklist is progressively evolving from pure industrial-tribal towards sensual passages to heavy outbursts at the end. The songs have something elevating and I especially recommend listening to “Internal Scream”, “The Trip” and “What Remains”. Another attention grabber is “What Are You Waiting For” characterized by real strong kind of trumpet sound making the originality of the song.
– – – : I can’t say this is my favorite Syntech-album, but the album is not a simple emulation of previous works and that’s a detail I appreciate!
Conclusion: There are projects that make me happy when they finally have a new work out and Syntech is one of them. This is not the best Syntech-work from the discography, but it remains a well-crafted and intelligent production!
Best songs: “What Remains”, “The Trip”, “What Are You Waiting For”, “Internal Scream”, “The Signs Are Everywhere”, “In The Distance”.
Rate: (8½).
Artist: www.facebook.com/Greyhound.Syntech
Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
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