▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███
░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓
███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░
███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████
███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███
███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███
███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███
▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███
███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███
██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███
░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███
░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀
██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██
░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░
▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓
░ ██ ██ Artist: Sympuls-E ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Solarstorm █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-10-18 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Black Plague Records / Metallic Media ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ When people ask me what makes the modern Russian █
█ metal scene so enjoyable, my answer usually █
█ concerns the electronic constituent, which these █
█ bands aren't afraid to gel with just about any █
█ tertiary style, yielding shockingly consistent █
█ returns. The second peculiarity are the flagrant █
█ use of alternative clean vocals, not dissimilar to █
█ core bands elsewhere, but it just seems to work so █
█ much better here. Add Sympuls-e to the list █
█ alongside the likes of Illidiance, Oblivion █
█ Machine, Seecrees, Deadheaven and to a lesser █
█ extent, FateScorn. That list continues to grow, █
█ and I would put these Ryazan natives somewhere █
█ near the middle/head of the pack, courtesy of the █
█ aforementioned idiosyncrasies alongside snappy and █
█ virulent songwriting. Solarstorm certainly lives █
█ up to its title on an ephemeral nature, evoking a █
█ maelstrom of punchy tempos, blustering synths and █
█ sinewy rhythm implementation. It certainly packs a █
█ wallop on a decadent level, but does it have any █
█ actual depth? █
█ I suppose to some it will, as I have eagerly █
█ revisited the album several times by now and find █
█ it every bit as engaging as the first time, █
█ wherein I knew the band had a working formula down █
█ within the first thirty seconds of the title track █
█ and defacto opener. I might as well address the █
█ clean vocals now, as this will certainly be the █
█ cause of the most forceful bifurcation of opinion. █
█ At many junctures, I get a Sybreed vibe from █
█ Kokarev's timbre, which when set next to the hyper █
█ electronics of songs like "Ingenesis" summons some █
█ parallels to "Challenger" and similar fare from █
█ albums like God Is an Automaton. Regardless, the █
█ majority of his vocal contribution is a capable █
█ metalcore shout that is similar to those employed █
█ in Blood Stain Child. So if you are aware of my █
█ tastes (which you very likely are if you are even █
█ reading this) and my opinion of the aforementioned █
█ bands, it is fair to consider Sympuls-e a decent █
█ dip into cyber metal waters without the exhausting █
█ borderline-djent masturbation that constitutes █
█ much of the field. █
█ In fact, Sympuls-e are little more than a █
█ relatively standard upbeat modern melodeath at █
█ their core, with a few stuttering rhythms and █
█ lurching grooves to help homogenize proceedings. █
█ There is a fair bit of technical wizardry █
█ concerning the guitars as well, but their █
█ outbursts are largely controlled and siphoned in █
█ at more opportune times as opposed to simply █
█ coming out of left field. Hardly technical just █
█ for the sake of it, and the potency of the █
█ melodies helps mitigate any shortcomings in this █
█ regard anyway. Most songs open with electronic █
█ passages that are oftentimes the centrifuge of the █
█ tune, or at least revisited once or twice █
█ thereafter. Also worth noting (I suppose) is █
█ Christina Kolesikhina, but only for her █
█ transparency. Cool to see a competent female █
█ screamer, but I could see this style working █
█ better if Kokarev's cleans were emphasized more █
█ instead. The faceless grunting works courtesy of █
█ the remainder, but it remains a point that can be █
█ improved. █
█ Solarstorm is a consistent beast at least, with █
█ the only iffy track being "Memorine." The band's █
█ formula hardly tests any borders past its preset █
█ confines, but I guess I am just a sucker for this █
█ style and don't mind much. The keyboards are huge █
█ sounding when they want to be, going from █
█ orchestral bombast to rave-esque electronica and █
█ back again. The rhythm guitar and drummer evoke a █
█ spinal fusion of mechanized grit, and the melodies █
█ swirl about with controlled abandon. A good album █
█ and one of the more worthy Bandcamp purchases I █
█ can recommend so far this year. Just be aware of █
█ Sympuls-e's modern trappings and the excessive █
█ electronics, and prepare for a surprisingly █
█ engaging ride. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. A Several Minutes Before... 0:55 ░
░ 2. Solarstorm 2:55 ░
░ 3. Criopsis 4:09 ░
░ 4. Osmos 3:22 ░
░ 5. Generate Reincarnation 4:20 ░
░ 6. Ingenesis 3:47 ░
░ 7. Memorine 3:45 ░
░ 8. At the Start 5:06 ░
░ 9. Last Revolt 3:36 ░
░ 10. Sunengine 5:24 ░
░ 37:19 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░
▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓
▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■
░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░
▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░
█▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓
█▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█
▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒
░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░
▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓
█▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓
░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒
█░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█
███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░
▓██ ░ ██▓
██░ ░██
█▒ ░ ░█
▀█ █▀
▓ ░
░