Sinister
Syncretism

One of the most respected and uncompromising Dutch death metal bands is how Massacre Records describes the band Sinister in the press sheet for their latest album. It is their thirteenth album in a long career that started almost thirty years ago and their debut album was released 25 years ago. We have written a few words about them during that time, in 2010 and 2012 and even an interview with headman Aad. Both albums were given a rating of four and the same can be said about this one, it was five years ago I reviewed them last time and it is almost like nothing has happened since then. Though the band has some new members etcetera so they have changed on members but not in style.

It is traditional death metal, there are no surprises here just guttural growls smattering drums and traditional guitar riffs. Even the production sounds as it usually does in the traditional death metal genre and it makes me think that perhaps this uncompromising death metal attitude always leads to predictable results, like on this album. Fans will probably find it appealing in terms of style, after all it sounds like one could imagine when first hearing that Sinister is about to release a new album.

If it is any good depends on you outlook on life and music, if you like things not to change and always remain as they were, then you will like this album. If you think traditions are for fools and change make life more interesting, then I doubt this will be an album for you as tradition is its game. I think it is fair to say that this album is more or less what one can expect; no surprises and that Sinister’s fans as well as fans of the traditional school of death metal will enjoy it.

There isn’t really much more to add when it comes to words about this new album by Sinister. Words that has been written about their previous effort along with statements that this is more of the same is more than enough, it is a solid effort, even a good one but hardly something that will go down in history. I don’t think that this is a particularly memorable album; it is what one can expect.

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