Album Review: Sinheresy - Out Of Connection

Some of us have the mindset of always wondering 'what comes next?' That can make it hard to appreciate the moment we currently live in, but it also is a perspective that keeps the thrill of the hunt hones and sharpened. Metal has been stagnant for a few years now, but there are little ripples coming through that might point us toward certain futures. One of those is the continued success of Amaranthe, who are opening the door to a path where metal and modern electronic pop can meld together. Their album last year was a fine example of just that, and while I know plenty of fans who don't share an affinity for pop were disappointed, I saw a potential future I could easily live with.

Sinheresy follows a similar playbook, mixing together pop, metal, and blended dual vocals. It's a formula I've heard work, so they're starting out with a solid base, if they have the songs to back it up.

The opener "What Makes Us Human" hits the right marks, but also reveals a flaw in the record. It's an energetic track, and it has a solid hook, but the mix of the record holds it back from what it could be. I would expect more from a veteran like Jacob Hansen, but Cecilia Petrini's vocals sit back in the mix enough that the chorus doesn't sound as powerful as it should when she is singing alone. Her voice has a shy tone to it, and it needs to be pushed further in front to compete not just with Stefano Sain's voice, but an entire metal band as well. She doesn't have the same bite that Elize Ryd does, and she isn't given the right help to compensate.

Once we get past that issue, what we have is an album that serves as a fine companion to Amaranthe's latest. I'll be frank here; I'm using the word companion due to the connotation, as this album is not on par with "Helix". The sound is right, and the effort is there, but the songs just don't have quite the crackle and spark that Amaranthe manages. That's why they are the leaders of this charge, and everyone else is coming in their wake. There's no shame in that.

It also doesn't mean they don't have some really good material to offer us. "Facts, Words, Sand, Stone" is a great track, with a stomping beat and a tremendous chorus. Actually, the middle of the album is packed with great songs. "Absolution" and "Break The Surface" are just as good, and give the album an odd center of gravity, almost a bell-curve, which goes against the conventional way albums are structured. I'm not sure it makes the best first impression, but if you stick with it, things get better as each track moves along.

By the time we're done with "Out Of Connection", it's done a lot to earn my affection. There's still little things here and there that can be tightened up, but the band does a good job of riding the wave of this modern style. There aren't a lot of bands doing it well yet, so if they can get some traction out of this record, they have plenty of room to rise. Sinheresy gave me a nice little surprise here.