UMUR
"Resurrection: The Complete Collection" is a compilation release by US, Illinois based thrash metal act Sindrome. The compilation was released through Century Media Records in March 2016. Sindrome was formed in Highland Park in 1986, and got a break almost immediately after releasing the "Into the Halls of Extermination (1987)" demo as they supported Whiplash on their "Ticket to Mayhem (1987)" tour and later Death on their tour supporting "Scream Bloody Gore (1987)". Lineup problems meant they didn´t release the "Vault of Inner Conscience" demo before 1991. They disbanded in 1993 without having released an official studio album.
"Resurrection: The Complete Collection" is a 2 disc compilation featuring the material from the "Into the Halls of Extermination (1987)" and the "Vault of Inner Conscience (1991)" demos plus a bonus track from the "Into the Halls of Extermination (1987)" sessions titled "Brought to the End" on disc 1 and 6 tracks recorded live at The Iron Rail, Chicago, January 21st 1988 on disc 2. The material on disc 2 is exclusive to this release.
Stylistically the music on the two demos is technically well played thrash metal in the more brutal end of the spectrum. It´s not death/thrash by any means, but it´s still pretty brutal. The basic style is the same on the two demos (although the material on "Vault of Inner Conscience (1991)" is a bit more technical in style), but there´s been a lot of development between the two demos when it comes to musicianship and especially when it comes to the sound production. Both demos are well produced and are fully on par with sound productions on contemporary studio releases by other artists, and especially the material from the "Vault of Inner Conscience (1991)" demo features a pretty impressive sound considering that this is a demo recording. It should of course be mentioned here that all material have been remastered for this compilation.
The live tracks on disc 2 are not quite as impressive. Sindrome are obviously a very well playing/singing act, but the show is recorded in what I would characterize as bootleg quality, and it´s not always pleasant on the ears, although it provides the listener with an authentic documentation of what a Sindrome show sounded like in 1988.
So upon conclusion "Resurrection: The Complete Collection" is a high quality release when it comes to the material featured on disc 1 while the material on disc 2 is a bit more redundant. Sindrome has grown into a bit of a cult act over the years, so it´s great to finally have the recorded material they left behind compiled and available on one release. The two demos have seen some sporadic reissues and limited vinyl releases throughout the years, but they´ve never been readily available as they now are on "Resurrection: The Complete Collection". A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.