Only Inhuman

With a new record label (Nuclear Blast), and a re-established thirst for music, the sextet known as Sonic Syndicate return to give you a dose of Swedish melodic death metal like no other band can give. This time around the Sjunnesson brothers return with a more focused attack on clean sounds.

Sonic Syndicate's sophomore album "Only Inhuman" gives the listener a great epic, from start to finish. The follow up to the band's brutal 2005 debut album, Eden Fire, Only Inhuman continues it's sound, and expands. I would have to compare them to In Flames circa 2002 or 2004, then add in the notable keyboards that only Sonic Syndicate deliver (if you've heard Eden Fire, and I hope you have, you know what I mean), and you have their new album in a nutshell. Now, cracking the shell off, let me first say this, the band takes a huge risk by breaking from the traditional brutal style of Sweden's trademark Gothenburg metal, but they do it and they do it well. Only one song is a let down so to speak, with the song, "All About Us," although amusing being that it is a T.A.T.U. cover, it just doesn't do anything and falls flat, much like the girls from T.A.T.U. Only Inhuman sets a blistering pace from start to finish...Almost. Aside from the slow tempo of “Enclave” and the ender "Flashback," the rest of the album paces along like a melodic eighteen wheeler running you down. With a beefy opener, Only Inhuman starts off thundering. With the song "Blue Eyed Fiend" (which is probably the best on the album, atleast from my view) it keeps chugging along.

After at least ten rotations in my CD player, this album still hasn't gotten old, it's only gotten better. With it's catchy riffs, keyboards and lyrics this album is definitely a worthy follow-up to their debut, and is a near masterpiece of an album. It is a must have for 2007, if not any other year, or any other collection.