Rare is the day you hear a UK band willing to tackle the Technical / Progressive Thrash Metal waters, but we have one right in front of us with SYNAPTIK. Beginning their career in 2012, "The Mechanisms of Consequence" is their debut full-length record, an interesting release because there aren't many bands these days reaching back into the late 80's/ early 90's style in terms of Melodic/Power vocals and equally challenging, energetic musical arrangements.

If bands like BELIEVER, WATCHTOWER, ATHEIST, and NEVERMORE mean something to your collection, SYNAPTIK offer plenty to provide endless appeal. Vocalist John Knight has a killer Melodic voice, able to hit notes low and high with grace, power, and a ton of conviction. Comparisons run from Matt Barlow to Warrel Dane and Geoff Tate to Michael Bastholm Dahl of ARTILLERY on "Truths That Wake" and highlight "Vacancy of Mind". The guitar riffing and rhythm changes are exemplary, requiring multiple exposures to take in all of the action on display - but never so technical that you get a headache from the aural action.

The band can handle off to the races tempos like the maze oriented epic "As I Am, As I Was" and then settle in to a more restrained attack for "Allies" - the Power and Progressive chord combinations requiring precise timing and execution for maximum cranial/ body impact. Couple this with a bonus second version of "Your Cold Dead Trace" that concludes the record as guest singer Alan Tecchio proves his upper echelon status in the genre, and it's very easy to see how this UK act is gaining a decent buzz.

So if you are looking for a band that can challenge your mind musically and vocally, but still appreciate the heaviness of Thrash, SYNAPTIK possess the right tools to win you over. I'm already salivating over the next release.<