Synopsys – Timeless
Synopsys is a five-piece band hailing from Avignon in France. ‘Timeless’ is their very first EP, after a two-track demo released in 2012. Only four tracks, but it’s enough to get a picture of their musical universe, which is both deep and cloudy. The material proposed is deeply rooted in the post-hardcore/sludge metal scene, with a very strong emphasis on brooding ambiances.
And, in fact, the overture to the opening song announces the color of this uncommon album: black. Slowly coming drums are like a limping dog, wandering in the streets of a misty and abandoned city. Compositions build on a slow pace and are surrounded by the smell of death and despair. They are like vast landscapes where time is put on-hold. The tension is present all along the album through guitar work, be it in quiet or harsh moments. In light passages, the 6 strings sound like the stressing tick-tock of a clock that marks the passing of time. While, in angrier moments, cries of distress and the thunder tearing the sky share the picture. On ‘Naive’, those tribal rhythms allied with pensive guitars even bring back to prominence the ghost of all the “naive” lost souls of post-punk, sacrificed on the altar of the almighty Money God. All is melancholy and despair, it’s like a long ode to the memory of the departed, a “timeless” memory. Imploring and hurt clean voices alternate with exhorting harsh growls, without ever showing any sign of joy, it’s all confined within the respective realms of intimacy and anger, in order to keep the atmosphere reflective and gloomy at once.
Although the very first effort of a young band, ‘Timeless’ already shows a great maturity in composition, and a fascination for dark and brooding atmospheres. This was a risky choice in a world that tends to dismiss melancholy in favour of joyful catchy tunes. But the sad leanings of our French people make them all the more endearing.
Tracklist:
1. Red Stars 06:28
2. We have still the sun 05:51
3. Naive 11:02
4. Drops of fire 04:55
Line-up:
* François Evrard – samples machines
* Gregory Lo Negro – drums
* Jean-Michel Llorca – bass
* Julien Ollier – guitar & voice
* Vincent Taiani – guitar & voice
Links:
http://www.synopsys-project.com
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