Style: Technical groove metal, industrial, gothic metal
Thoughts: Some things are worth writing about, some things are not. This one is worth writing about.
"Look at the world, we got nothing to preserve." This definitive statement was written many years ago. Nihilism in a singular phrase. It rings as true today as the day it was penned.
Waiting for the end, embracing it. Discounting the value of human life, the loss of the value of the individual. The violence of uncreation, the sanctity of the pacifist is no more. Man is obsolete, erased, extinct. Long live the machine.
Sybreed, short for synthetic breed, is a band that is comprised by humans that write about a post human world. The Pulse of Awakening is just that, the awakening of the robotic race that will replace us - the singularity.
This concept of the post-human world is portrayed within the medium of metal. Specifically complex groove metal with a hefty dose of gothic and industrial elements. Songs will often start with a complex groove interaction of the excellent guitar work of Drop and the drums bringing to mind early Fear Factory on more than one occasion. Within this framework industrial elements and effects will be layered on top.
The gothic component comes primarily from Tom's voice. HIs harsh vocals are standard fare fry screams, however his clean vocals ooze goth rock. This is not the half spoken half sung Sisters of Mercy variety, but rather the Robert Smith mournful singing. His voice glides on top of the music discussing the ills of man and the end of civilization.
The gothic assertions continue with the cover of Killing Joke's Love Like Blood. It takes the original and makes it heavier with an even darker tone. Sybreed makes the song their own while paying tribute to the original.
The Pulse of Awakening is an incredibly varied album. Doomsday Party is a danceable almost radio worth song. I Am Ultraviolence flirts with full on black metal, utilizing blast beats and open chord riffing. In the Cold Light is a near ballad that sounds like the final moments of consciousness before its extinguished.
Sybreed has had a varied career. They have steadily improved with every album until they reached their apex with The Pulse of Awakening. The album is a fantastic testament to both what humans are capable of and a horrific glimpse of the world once we die out.
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