BlyndSyde
BlyndSyde describe themselves as ‘a monster lysing in wake, and when it comes, you won’t know what hit you but you will definitely be hungry for more, an addiction, you need it, you crave it, you hunger to be blyndsyded again…’ which sounds like a hell of a hard sell to me! Formed out of the ashes of previous bands, the band have gotten shot of the growl and instead are creating heavy shit – which again sounds good to me. As such, I figured I’d stop reading and get on with some listening!
Opening with Where Did We Go Wrong it’s immediately clear that we’re dealing with a band who aren’t out to write bedtime stories, this is heavy stuff from the off. Somehow combining the raw power and aggression with a sense of melody and groove, there’s a real sense that this is the sort of thing to get pits moving, the sort of music that’s going to slay on the live scene from the word go. Throughout the track we’re bombarded by layers of guitar work, pummelling drum lines, rumbling bass and a vocal which isn’t clean, but isn’t roared, resulting in a mix which is going to leave you dumbfounded by the sheer power. This is a theme which continues into My Pain, once again keeping things firmly dialled into the heavier side of things and leaving you with a serious taste for what’s going on. I love the guitar work on this track as it builds up, somehow creating a sense of ominous foreboding before launching into an almighty thrash style riff. Taking their lead from the pioneers of thrash and not messing about, this is another serious track on offer here which reflects the dedication of the band, definitely something which is going to stand them in good stead moving forwards.
Moving on to Dreams, the power of the guitar continues to be the main focus throughout the tracks, this time following the same conventions of the previous track yet somehow incorporating an extra element of darkness into the music. Powerful and driven throughout, the feeling behind this track is one of an old skool rock club, the sort of place where you’re going to go for some serious head banging and to get involved in a pit – it’s a winning recipe done well by the guys.3am continues the idea of distorted darkness once again, this time slowing things down for the opening and creating a sense that this could be a quieter moment on the record – you’d be wrong. Despite the slower opening this isn’t a track to underestimate, once again throwing down into a fast melee of hammering guitar lines and rolling drums. Ranging the vocals between spat out fast paced vocals and higher, more urgent ones, there’s a sense of old school metal created at times in this track, leaving you with a sound which combines classic metal with thrash, something that I’ve rarely come across since setting up the site. Personally, I like the progression of the track and would like to see if they can pull it off live!
Closing with March Of The Penguins there’s one last throw down waiting to close the record, this time demonstrating that whether it be slow or fast, the band know how to do groove orientated metal remarkably well. Spitting the vocals with even more venom through this track, this is another track which I imagine is going to work even better on the live scene, resulting in a track which is going to leave you wanting more and wondering how they’re going to keep this sort of sound going for the long term – although with this band, I reckon they probably can!
I like the variety on display throughout this record as at some moments there’s the slow and heavy approach, at other moments the fast and heavy approach. Either way, it’s clear that this is a band who understand how to combine all of their different elements to result in a sound that’s raw, unproduced and clearly their own – this is one I need to see live!
To find out more about BlyndSyde, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Where Did We Go Wrong it’s immediately clear that we’re dealing with a band who aren’t out to write bedtime stories, this is heavy stuff from the off. Somehow combining the raw power and aggression with a sense of melody and groove, there’s a real sense that this is the sort of thing to get pits moving, the sort of music that’s going to slay on the live scene from the word go. Throughout the track we’re bombarded by layers of guitar work, pummelling drum lines, rumbling bass and a vocal which isn’t clean, but isn’t roared, resulting in a mix which is going to leave you dumbfounded by the sheer power. This is a theme which continues into My Pain, once again keeping things firmly dialled into the heavier side of things and leaving you with a serious taste for what’s going on. I love the guitar work on this track as it builds up, somehow creating a sense of ominous foreboding before launching into an almighty thrash style riff. Taking their lead from the pioneers of thrash and not messing about, this is another serious track on offer here which reflects the dedication of the band, definitely something which is going to stand them in good stead moving forwards.
Moving on to Dreams, the power of the guitar continues to be the main focus throughout the tracks, this time following the same conventions of the previous track yet somehow incorporating an extra element of darkness into the music. Powerful and driven throughout, the feeling behind this track is one of an old skool rock club, the sort of place where you’re going to go for some serious head banging and to get involved in a pit – it’s a winning recipe done well by the guys.3am continues the idea of distorted darkness once again, this time slowing things down for the opening and creating a sense that this could be a quieter moment on the record – you’d be wrong. Despite the slower opening this isn’t a track to underestimate, once again throwing down into a fast melee of hammering guitar lines and rolling drums. Ranging the vocals between spat out fast paced vocals and higher, more urgent ones, there’s a sense of old school metal created at times in this track, leaving you with a sound which combines classic metal with thrash, something that I’ve rarely come across since setting up the site. Personally, I like the progression of the track and would like to see if they can pull it off live!
Closing with March Of The Penguins there’s one last throw down waiting to close the record, this time demonstrating that whether it be slow or fast, the band know how to do groove orientated metal remarkably well. Spitting the vocals with even more venom through this track, this is another track which I imagine is going to work even better on the live scene, resulting in a track which is going to leave you wanting more and wondering how they’re going to keep this sort of sound going for the long term – although with this band, I reckon they probably can!
I like the variety on display throughout this record as at some moments there’s the slow and heavy approach, at other moments the fast and heavy approach. Either way, it’s clear that this is a band who understand how to combine all of their different elements to result in a sound that’s raw, unproduced and clearly their own – this is one I need to see live!
To find out more about BlyndSyde, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls