Review: Synside - THE CORE-subconsciousness-

Considering this new UCP band has members that are ex. GRIEVER and brodiaea, I can say that I really wasn't expecting much out of this band. To be fair, I haven't listened to anything by brodiaea but GRIEVER was another matter altogether. I never mentioned GRIEVER here nor will I do a review anytime soon because I don't feel like wasting time and bandwidth to bash a band no one cares about, but I can say that if Kisaki drops you from his label because he thinks you suck, you fucking suck. KIKYO, the ex-guitarist of GRIEVER, made it to this band and all I can say is that he somehow managed to make that jump from suck to generic.

At it's core, THE CORE-subconsciousness- is generic. Generic isn't necessarily a bad term and considering this is Synside's first release I didn't expect it to be anything magnificent. Hell, I'm glad it's not since bands that usually have stellar first releases end up fucking sucking over the course of the next few singles (like ALSDEAD - I'll get to their new single tomorrow). What is notable about THE CORE-subconsciousness- is that as the single goes on, the tracks get better and better. I dig the buildup that they have and I wonder if they placed the A-side last instead of first...

01. UNDER THE RIOT
02. SENSE GATE
03. IDEAL UNIVERSE

UNDER THE RIOT's chorus is very annoying and drags so it makes it the worst song off this release for me. This is sad since the song starts off pretty well. I like Rayka's death voice and the guitar lines aren't anything new but they work. The drumming backed with the death vocals at the beginning make for an excellent start but I really don't like the distortion put over Rayka's voice when he starts singing at the buildup. It's not used to cover up deficiencies in singing but it was turned up too much. The chorus is also drawn out and should have been truncated. Perhaps they should have opted for a different vocal melody as well - this one seems too "standard". I would have preferred it if UNDER THE RIOT was pure growling because the energy switch into the chorus doesn't do it for me. The song starts off promising but then peters off into averageness. It's nothing horrible but it could have been done so much better.

However I must say that since this single was released through UCP, having three songs instead of the standard two songs + album intro is quite refreshing, and considering that this is the worst song on the release and it's not that bad know this single is off on the right foot.

SENSE GATE features absolutely no growling whatsoever and shows a lighter, faster side to Synside, which is a good addition to this single because it establishes this band as more than a one trick pony. I like this song a bit more than the last since I feel it's more stable and balanced but I was hoping Rayka's death vocals would make an appearance somewhere in here. It's a step up from the last track so if you liked the last track SENSE GATE might be up your alley as well - unless you're one of those faegz that can't stand musical diversity and like bands to shit out the same thing over and over again.

I'm making SENSE GATE seem like more than it is. It's also generic but it's done right, it's different, it sounds great and it's enjoyable. The production may not be top notch but I've heard far worse. So far this single is 2 for 2 and they haven't fucked up too badly.

IDEAL UNIVERSE sounds like GRIEVER if the band members could play well and the vocalist could sing. In case you didn't get it, it's meant to be a compliment. The mixture of electronic with punctuated guitar riffs sounds pretty cool and they pack a lot of groove. Rayka's chorus line for once isn't annoying as hell and he does exactly what I wanted him to do in SENSE GATE - mix his good singing with his growling. Therefore, IDEAL UNIVERSE to me is the best track so far and definitely is single material. Generic? Yes, but it's good generic. I even see some slight signs as to what Synside's future direction would be in the industrial mixed with the heavy metal and I like it. If you're looking into Synside, this is the best track here.

So for a first single, it's a little on the empty side concerning originality but it's not garbage like most VK first releases are. Nothing stands out as amazing but it's all great to average out into a single that's enjoyable to listen to, even if it's not something you'd put on repeat every day.

I'd give it about a seven.