While "Confessions" is the Swedish band's sixth studio album, this is the first SONIC SYNDICATE album I have ever heard so I have no basis of comparison.  Apparently they used to be a metal band but you couldn't tell that if you listened to any of the songs on this album.  So I'll begin with a warning: if you're looking for metal, then don't even bother with this release. Actually, even if you are wanting hard rock don't bother. At various points, such as during the chorus of "Russian Roulette", the songs do sound like they want to break free and get a little more intense but it never happens.  "I Like It Rough" starts to get a little heavy but quickly falls back into pop rock territory.

That's not to say everyone is going to hate this album.  In fact, if you like mid-paced pop rock then this is a gold mine for you.  They are basically IMAGINE DRAGONS but not as good which doesn't say a whole lot.  If you like musicianship or music with depth, then there just isn't anything to like here.  The songs follow the typical verse-chorus-verse style of writing; some bands can pull this off and others can't.  They do a fine job with it but it always seems like there should be more to the songs but it never shows.  Nathan J Biggs' vocals have a clean tone, no doubt helped by the albums crystal clear production, and he does have a good voice, but he shows absolutely no power.  There isn't range or any kind of interesting inflection in his voice whatsoever.  Again, as with the songs, I can tell there is some talent here but it refuses to rear its head; he is clearly playing it safe.  The aforementioned production is an example of too good: it leaves the album with a cold, sterile, sound with no energy running through it. The bass just plays whatever the guitar is doing and the drums are so extremely basic they might as well used a drum machine.

"Crystalize" is the best track on the album because it features drumming that actually sounds like its played by a human and some guitars that actually perk up a bit but it quickly runs out of gas with the weak chorus, synth beats, and weak vocals. The keyboards really give the album a very poppy techno sound; they eschew an epic orchestral sound and concentrate more on creating beats that sound like something you might hear while you're coked up on a dance floor.  "Falling" is a song that I can definitely imagine people bumping and grinding to on the dance floor, with its simple riffs spaced out like a dance beat.  The sound is catchy, but it just doesn't evoke any feelings which is the album's main problem.  The overall sound is just too safe, too soft and every song sounds exactly the same.  You can press play, hear the first song, and say you have heard it all. At the end of the day, this album is decent enough pop rock album but with the safe, by the numbers, repetitive sound and lack of edge , anyone looking for any other type of rock is going to be disappointed with this release.