Synaptik – The Mechanisms Of Consequence – Album Review

Source // yt3.ggpht.com

We’re a little behind the times here – Synaptik’s debut album The Mechanisms Of Consequence has been knocking around for a fair few months now – but we’ll consider ourselves fashionably late as there was no way we could ignore this slab of UK Prog/Thrash mastery once we’d heard it!

Clearly sipping from the font of towering deities Nevermore – no bad thing, they are gods of Prog Metal/Thrash after all – Synaptik are that rare breed; a UK band showcasing real finesse, true technicality – although not at the expense of neck-snapping riffs – and a progressive air that’s both bracing and intimidatingly menacing.

As noted, Nevermore seem to be the chief inspiration – as highlighted by the powerful “Truths that Wake” and “A Man Dies” – but there’s also a Dream Theatre vibe echoing throughout. No more so than on the suitably epic “As I Am, As I Was”, which channels the same melodic vocals over chug-heavy riffing of Dream Theatre at their heaviest. A punishing affair replete with uplifting chorus, this album highlight is a tight display of technically accomplished riffing underscored by intense bursts of fiendish melody and a drive that makes its 7mins+ seemingly fly by in half the time.

To be fair, The Mechanisms Of Consequence is the kind of album that you immediately expect to have come from the States. It’s just the norm to hear this brand of condident and brash Prog Thrash eminate from our transatlantic cousins. There’s traces of Watchtower, the aforementioned Nevermore and even trace a lineage to Chuck Schuldiner’s work with Death (we’re thinking Symbolic onwards) and his Control Denied project. Refreshingly, these old dogs (Synaptik are veterans and you can hear years of experience in each and every sublime moment) are from good old Blighty no less and it truly is a breath of fresh air to have a UK band tackle the genre with such consummate ease.

There’s promising debuts and then there’s promising debuts….The Mechanisms Of Consequence is a real attention-grabber and could very well be the start of great things! 8/10