Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Sybreed - Antares (2007)
Can you feel the emotion that comes from not just someone but something? Even the art that comes from music made by a band, as well as a successful film. It's essential for anyone with artistic and creative ability to give their work the emotion it needs, and there's a lot of it in this impressive work of art!
Sybreed is a groove-ish industrial/cyber metal band from Switzerland, formed out of the ashes of Rain (those last 6 words can make a good song title). They're so underrated yet painfully overlooked, staying strong for 4 albums until their unfortunate split-up. Antares is their second album, and it's as incredible as their debut Slave Design. It took a couple years for several Sybreed songs to stick in my mind, and when they did recently, albums like this one had left an remarkable impact in my ongoing metal journey.
The starting track "Emma-0" has beats and synths rising from the distorted background before unleashing sinister guitar riffing. Vocalist Benjamin Nominét screams his heart out against life struggles mutilating and hurting him. Soilwork drummer Dirk Verbeuren stops by to deliver some powerful drumming, shining in the progressive "Ego Bypass Generator". I love the amazing "Revive My Wounds". The beat here is so d*mn good. "Isolate" is an epic ballad-ish track to tone down some of the relentless chaos of the other tracks. A bit isolated, while still awesome!
Then we have more of the flaming blasts in the dynamic "Dynamic". Then "Neurodrive" rolls through excellent guitar rhythms and some of the best vocals by Benjamin. That might have leave a huge influential mark on Neurotech, and is one of my favorite tracks here. "Ex-Inferis" is a two-minute interlude that would fit well in a video game. Well now that I think about it, a Sybreed song ending up on the radio or a movie/video game soundtrack would be interesting. Think HALO or Red Alert.
"Permafrost" has more of the riffing soaring through. The vocals end up sounding more spoken in "Orbital" which nicely adds some variation to Benjamin's distorted vocals as he continues to sing about a dark future. "Twelve Megatons Gravity" is a prime example of aggressive deathly electro-industrial metal. It is one of the most rage-filled songs I've heard in the genre that barely any other bands can reach. The closing track "Ethernity" is a polar opposite of that, an ethereal tranquil 9-minute epic. A couple bonus tracks are around in different editions, including the more technological "Technocracy" and the more in-line-with-their-usual-material "Plasmaterial".
Whether or not you're into modern industrial/cyber metal, you can't go your entire lifetime without hearing this legendary offering. It's a shame that not a lot of music listeners have come across such a masterpiece. This underrated band needs more well-deserved attention, d*mn it!
Favorites: "Emma-0", "Revive My Wounds", "Isolate", "Neurodrive", "Twelve Megatons Gravity", "Ethernity", "Plasmaterial"