TheSyre

Duality  

Selbstmord 2005

TheSyre is an enigma for me.  Hailing from the cold wastes of Canada I was not truly aware of what I should expect.  Their second album, Duality is an excursion into what is referred to these days as "Black N' Roll."  Another modern example of this style are some of the rockier songs from Carpathian Forest.  I think my favorite song is The driving song F.O.A.D with its shout-along chorus.  Also The Cult of Victory with its triumphant riff and humming bass line makes me want to bang my head.  I know I have said this before and I am sure I'll say it again but I really enjoy it when a black metal band utilizes the bass guitar in such a manner as it has its own personality in the mix.  TheSyre has managed to achieve this goal.  They also perform an adequate cover of Sodom's Outbreak of Evil and if you weren't familiar with that song you might think it was one of TheSyre's own compositions.  Very seldomly does TheSyre move faster than a mid-tempo groove.  The vocals remind me of Gaahl of Gorgoroth.  They have done some different vocal experimentations in the songs as well.  Some of these work for me and some don't.  For example I do not like the digitized vocals in Pyromania but I really dig the clean vocals in The Eagle in The Wheel.  The packaging is a very stripped down, no-frills affair, with just the cover and songtitles.  With no lyric sheet it is kind of hard to get a true feel for what their message is but it appears to be some form of the elitist styled philosophy that is in opposition to the current state of world affairs such as the spreading of democracy and similar topics.  Overall this is an enjoyable slab of headbanging inducing black n' roll that should appeal to all fans of Carpathian Forest, Khold, and modern Darkthrone.  Punked out Black N' Roll at its best.