SONIC SYNDICATE — Revolution, Baby (review)

SONIC SYNDICATE — Revolution, Baby album cover Single · 2010 · Alternative Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
2/5 ·
Time Signature
Revolution, maybe...

Genre: pop-metalcore

I must admit that I am not a big Sonic Syndicate fan, their melodic brand of so-called metalcore being a tad too polished and poppy for my tastes. I don't mind a bit of melody, and melody is also an intrinsic part of modern Swedish metal, it seems. But I do think that too much pop sensitivity and too polished a sound takes away some of the energy that otherwise characterizes metal. The worst example of this type of new Swedish pop-metalcore is the atrocious act Dead By April while Sonic Syndicate, I think, are more sucessful at maintaining some of the spirit of metal (on some tracks, at least).

This particular one-track single contains one of the better modern pop-metalcore tracks I have heard (some of Sonic Syndicate's other tracks are too poppy, reminding me of Lady Gaga). The opening is a bit industrial-like, with electronic drums and simple and catchy guitar riff, and then the song kicks into a fatter version of the same riff, backed by full metal instrumentation and layers of melancholic Depeche Mode-esque keyboards. The verse consists of a quite heavy guitar riff, which is a simpler version of the intro riff. While the guitar riff is pretty good, the vocals are your typical run-off the mill screamed-vocals-mixed-with-clean-vocals that characterize modern metal. While probably considered a metalcore song, there really aren't any breakdowns to speak of, and the main emphasis is on underlining the verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure through the use of melodic keyboards in addition to the traditional metal instrumentation.

This track is too polished in production for my tastes, there are some heavy riffs that prevent it from being totally pop. It will probably not appeal to old school fans of the metal of the 1980s and 1990s, but I think that younger people who grew up with the pointless pop of the 2000s may appreciate this song, and whatever heaviness it has may serve to introduce the kids to the world of metal... who knows?
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