Syryn – Heads Or Tails

Syryn
Heads Or Tails
Label: Self-release
Out: August 26th, 2022
Playing time: 41:09

After 2020’s “Beyond The Deaths“, the Power Metaler Syryn from Calgary (Canada) now present the follow-up “Heads Or Tails”. For the recording, the musicians were able to win two well-known guest singers from their home country, Amanda Kiernan (ex-The Order of Chaos, ex-Into Eternity) and Craig Carswell (Dorians Mirror, Court of Cardinals). The latter also produced the album. 

This album is part of my soul. Not only is it melodic, but it is also menacing and malicious.

So says singer Sloan Voxx. Let’s have a listen.

This time the Canadians do without intro and interludes. With “Surrender” they get down to business (almost) immediately. The song starts with a short siren noise before a melodic bass line is heard. Later, the guitars kick in. A midtempo song where you can enjoy the vocals of Sloan Voxx, even if the double bass pushes itself into the foreground at times. The rhythmic “‘Til We Drown” is a bit faster, characterised by galloping twin guitar runs. “Walk The Plank” then offers classic High-Speed Power Metal. Here, too, the riffs and the drums are driving. But the singer can easily keep up with this high tempo. A great guitar solo rounds off the song. And the tempo is kept high in “Sink Or Swim”. The power ballad “Madness Becomes Me” then sets a point of calm, although the drums keep trying to break out of this calm. This succeeds together with Speedy guitars towards the end. But this storm is only an intermezzo. On the anthemic “Fist Full of Daggers”, Sloan gets vocal support from the aforementioned Craig Carswell. Here, evil growls can be heard for the first time. It sounds like not only Craig contributes his guttural vocals. “Heads or Tails” is the second quieter but by no means silent song on the album. The finale “Succubus Queen” is performed by two Canadian singers, Sloan and rock shouter Amanda Kiernan. Both are driven by a double bass that pushes forward. Oh, and how I have missed Amanda’s rough vocals in recent years.

I still had a few points of criticism with the predecessor. The shortness, the many intro and interlude parts, and the somewhat underrated drums. On “Heads Or Tails” there is nothing left of that. A good forty-one minutes of playing time with only eight songs speak an eloquent language. And the drums bang hard and loud out of the speakers. In addition, there are very good guitar and bass lines. However, Sloan Voxx’s vocals are and will remain the trademark. Syryn have noticeably developed further. Have the musicians actually read my last review and taken it to heart? I can only say that this album is a must-have for every metal fan.

Syryn – Sink Or Swim (Official Music Video): https://youtu.be/ejR-FzW44-g

Lineup:

Sloan Voxx – Vocals
Paulo Rage – Guitar
Lyxx Rose – Bass
Bryan Campbell – Drums
Byron Gorieu – Guitar

Track list:

• Surrender
• ‘Til We Drown 
• Walk The Plank
• Sink Or Swim
• Madness Becomes Me
• Fist Full Of Daggers
• Heads Or Tails
• Succubus Queen