SONIC SYNDICATE's new EP. Rebellion gives us a taste of what the new album is going to be consisted of. After an intense year of touring the band received news that singer Roland Johansson is calling it quits in late April. So the singer is replaced with Nathan J Biggs who also sings in Rebellion. The EP is consisted of 3 songs: Burn This City and Rebellion in Nightmareland as well as the radio edit of the hit Burn This City. The songs have a great production and that is expected for the specific kind of music SONIC SYNDICATE is making.
Burn This City is a catchy song with happy tunes, screamo vocals in the couple as well as disco- electronic sounds .In the refrain the vocals are clean and if we muted the sound of the guitars it would be a pop band song. Wait, correction: We don't need to mute the guitars; it is a pop song as it is. The term Modern Metal which the band employs does not tell me anything. If that means that metal now on is going to be modernized and sound like this , excuse me but I will start to listen to catchy pop songs. The alternation of rhythms and changing times as well as beat downs and accented drumming make the song somehow more catchy. The bridge with the more romantic vocals and the backing vocals make me think of BACKSTREET BOYS and the sentimental violin passage softens the situation even more.
Rebellion in Nightmareland is a little more aggressive song which reminds a bit of IN FLAMES in the times of Reroute To Remain especially in the sound of the sample keyboards. Well, I find this song a little bit better than Burn This City.
I would not like to comment the third track of the EP, the radio edit of Burn This City as seriously, it sounds EXACTLY the same to me! Okay, SONIC SYNDICATE may be adequate musicians and showmen (although I haven't seen them perform live) and handsome boys and girl but that's not all that it takes to make an album. Catchy music may be selling but music that sells is not necessarily good music. I will be kind enough not to rate the specific release for two reasons: The first is that the rating would be bad, and the second is that I am not rating pop music albums. I don't want to be a bitch but seriously I think these rebellions without a cause would hardly burn any city!