Hi! This is Alison writing:
We announce with pleasure that a great COMPLETE REVIEW (track by track and concept) was published on IndustrializedMetal.com Webzine!
Share and spread! ;)
Here's the LINK to reach the review page:
http://www.industrializedmetal.com/r_alchemy.htm
Enjoy!
Alison - Neon Synthesis
Artist: NEON SYNTHESIS
Album: Alchemy Of Rebirth
Year: 2009
Neon Synthesis already has a link with the Industrialized Metal Webzine
from the roots of it's creation. Not only was one of the first
interviews on our webpage in collaboration with this four piece, as
well - if I'm not mistaken - the review of their first release,
'Promo004', was one of the very first reviews on here as well. Most
people might know this band better from their debut album 'Our Empty
Rooms' - which was self-released by this band in 2006 and showed us a
more than excellent alternative for leading names such as Deathstars
and The Kovenant, just with a more darker approach. It wasn't a
surprise at all to me that not too long after, this band found shelter
at a record label in their native country - namely Killer Pool Records
- who released their 'Alchemy of Rebirth' album in 2009. This album can
be devided into two major parts and ten tracks.
The release opens with 'Nihil'. It's an accessable electro metal track,
mixing wave influenced keylines with heavy riffing and diverse vocal
lines, blend together with powerful drumming. 'Visions From Above'
opens with dark electro keys and drumming, to be followed by a track
mixing the forces of EBM and metal perfectly together. It's a pretty
gentle midtempo track, with a repeatative synth line and strong vocal
parts. 'Betrayal' is a moving track, with a danceable beat and
recogniseable vocal and keylines. The riffing on this track give the
song a certain strenght and power, which is an essential part of this
song. 'Like Ashes on a Waste Land' follows. It's a very wave based
track, with heavy sounding basslines and wellmixed keylines and
drumming. The diverse vocal lines give the song a slightly metalish
attitude, and the recogniseable chorus even gives it a certain amount
of accessability. 'Solitude + Fear' is a song that already was on the
'Promo004' and 'Our Empty Rooms' releases, but the one on this release
includes noticeable adjustments. It includes fragments of accoustic
guitarwork, more experimental intermezzo's and keylines and slightly
different programming when you compare it to the original track,
resulting in a very dreamy gothic/wave track with punctual riffing and
heavy drumming. Moving to part two of the album, blessed with the name
"To Light", we kick off with 'Artificial Paradise'. It's probably the
most heavy track on the release, with strong drumming, heavy riffing
and essential and present keylines. The dark, sometimes even evil
sounding vocal lines are an excellent adjustment to this track, making
it my personal favorite on this release. 'The Sweetest Nightmare' is
again a little more gentle and atmospheric. It excellently mixes gentle
dark electro loops with cold keylines and an overall wave attitude with
the industrial metal attitude of this band. 'Through the Looking Glass'
is the shortest track on this release, but still nearly four minutes
long. It again shows a high wave level, with welladded keylines and a
more outgoing chorus, without becoming too powerful to neglect the rest
of the track. Although the next track is the 9th of this release, it's
blessed with the name 'VII'. It's one of the more danceable and uptempo
tracks on the release, with wicked drumming and excellent keylines. It
contains a repeatable bassline all over the track, which synchronizes
excellently with the riffing and the vocal lines. The release ends with
'Catharsis', which is a slowly moving track sailing from pure wave
parts to atmospheric electro metal parts, with a gothic attitude
overall.
The fact that Neon Synthesis already knew a lot about decent song
structures was already confirmed by their preverious releases, yet
confirmed for one more time with 'Alchemy of Rebirth'. Every song is
more than decently build, even the more experimental ones, and each
song shows a different identity, which is an effective force on this
album. Although the song lyrically seems like a concept album, they
stand their grounds seperately from eachother with ease - and you could
listen to both the whole album or the songs seperated without getting
bored of them.
'Alchemy of Rebirth' doesn't only bring you musically very interested
compositions, as well lyrically they show us essential and unique
approaches. As I already slightly mentioned in the track by track
review - the album is divided into two parts - namely "I - Through
Fire" & "II - To Light". This is clearly noticeable within the
lyrics. As well, the lyrics are - on the contrary to many bands I've
heard in this genre - very deep and poetic. On a high exception, I
quote here a few lines: "Can you feel the pressure of Nothing? Can you
see the self destruction of society?" (Nihil), "Shadows are falling on
my face, the last gleam of light in the bottom of my eles" (Like Ashes
on a Wasteland), "Pity is food for the depressed, boredom is the
ambition of losers" (Through The Looking Glass). Of course these are
just fragments, but when you decide to get hold on this release, I
would strongly recommend to dissect the lines within the booklet as
well.
Overall, Neon Synthesis delivers with 'Alchemy of Rebirth' an album
that doesn't contain any weak spots, no matter if you use the naked
eye, venoculars or even a powerful microscope. It's a perfect release
in every way, beating out the latest releases by larger names within
this compareable subgenre of the industrial metal genre (Deathstars,
Samael, ...) with original songbuilding and a freshly new approach.
People who are still waiting for the new The Kovenant release will be
able to spend their free time a good way by checking this out as well.
Essential for anybody reading this webpage.
Vote: 100 / 100
Review by: Gerardo
http://www.industrializedmetal.com/r_alchemy.htm