Sinsænum – Echoes of the Tortured

Almost one year after the great thrash of Metal Allegiance, a new supergroup arises, worshiping a glorious death metal past which has never been so present and so alive. That is the difference between passing fads and strong musical styles.

The mastermind and multi-instrumentalist back Sinsænum is Frédéric Leclercq, bassist and composer in DragonForce, sharing here the guitars with Stéphane Buriez and the bass with Heimoth. Joey Jordison takes care of the drums, showing brilliantly he has won his battle against transverse myelitis. A duo of screamers’n’growlers completes this force of evil: Sean Zatorsky and Attila Csihar.

‘Splendor and Agony’ and ‘Army of Chaos’ are a jab in your face and the guarantee of pits running amok. Cool songs for sure, but two trees that hide a dark, dangerous forest. Check out the furious ‘Inverted Cross’, the time bomb ‘Dead Souls’, ‘Final Curse’ from its first notes, as a tribute to Morbid Angel, ‘Condemned to Suffer’ which gathers all you need in extreme metal, the drop-hammer ‘Sacrifice’, ‘The Forgotten One’, ruthless for any sane mind, the progressive ‘Anfang des Albtraumes’, the blackish and majestic ‘Echoes of the Tortured’, the colossal ‘Gods of Hell’, where Leclercq and Buriez work wonders again: this album is also a great dual lead guitars record.

The atmosfearic transitions between each song give barely time to catch its breath: remember Pestilence ‘Testimony of the Ancients’. Horror movie directors should contact Leclercq for their soundtrack.

Sinsænum is not only a sum of talents, but a real osmosis. We get here a broad spectrum of creativity and musicianship, disturbing, brutal and so enjoyable. Let’s hope and pray Azathoth that Leclercq & Co. will find time to make Sinsænum more than a side project.