SINSAENUM — Echoes Of The Tortured (review)

SINSAENUM — Echoes Of The Tortured album cover

Album · 2016 · Death Metal

4.5/5 · 2016-07-30
Nightfly

After some health issues and being kicked out of Slipknot, a lucky break in my opinion as nu metal and I never hit it off, drummer Joey Jordison is now back as part of a death metal supergroup of sorts. His main and surprising partner in crime is Dragonforce bassist/guitarist Frederic Leclercq. The line-up is completed by two vocalists – Attila Csihar of Sunn 0))) and Mayhem and Sean Zatorsky from DAATH, Heimoth, bassist from black metaller’s Seth and Stephane Buriez from thrash/death band Loudblast.

I must admit to being somewhat sceptical initially as to whether they could pull off a convincing death metal album even though there is some death metal pedigree in the line-up but with Leclercq being more used to writing melodic power metal I had doubts. A recent 4 track E.P. given away free with Metal Hammer magazine sounded promising featuring some well-played if unadventurous death. Their review talked of old school death in the vein of early Morbid Angel which I wasn’t really hearing from the E.P. However, taking a chance I bought the album and things really came to life. Yes, I could now hear some Morbid Angel in there at times though lacking the organic sound of those early albums as the production here is good but could do with a bit more grit at times being somewhat clinical. That said it has plenty of power.

21 tracks in total which sounds a lot but many are link/mood pieces and there’s pretty much one before each main song. They work well and after the haunting Materialization the album kicks in proper with the bludgeoning Splendor And Agony. It’s an awesome statement of intent and any doubt that these guys could cut it in a death metal setting are instantly dispelled. Jordison is particularly impressive and very convincing and inventive, not just here but throughout. It’s over in a flash and while a few songs are over the 5 minute mark most are around 4. My on the fence response to the songs on the free MH E.P. is dispelled and the mid paced Army Of Chaos seems to have new life breathed into it in an album setting. There’s a good variety of tempo, often in the same song which is preferable to relentless blastbeats like on Dead Souls ranging from a slow grind to blastbeats. The vocals of Zatorsky and Csihar work well together. Zatorsky’s growl seemingly taking precedence over Csihar’s more raspy delivery. Perhaps down to his Heinoth’s influence there is the ocassional black metal influence thrown in too. One of the best songs is Final Curse which has a strong Morbid Angel influence with its jumpy discordant riffing. Impressive guitar soloing too which often inject some melody into the songs – no doubt Leclercq can’t totally let go of his power metal day job.

Overall this is an excellent and captivating piece of death metal with plenty of variety and mood injected by the shorter pieces. There’s not anything particularly original here and it’s an easy listen by death metal standards but such is the standard of playing and song writing that it’s hard not to be won over. I dare say they’ll be those who may not want to give this a chance but they’ll be missing out on a hell of a good album.