From working with Metal-Temple you sometimes come across bands that are hard to find information on, therefore it does become harder to help the band especially without means of social media, but then again sometimes you never know, maybe for that reason you may have found a diamond in the rough, but that is yet to be seen of course. From Greece comes the Technical Thrash band SYPSIS with their release entitled "Playground Of the Dead".

"Playground of the Dead":
We start with the record's title track and open to some very clear bass lines and drums, though I won't lie when it comes to the drums it feels like they have been created using a drum machine and sound very off if I may be honest. This comes into the same timing that we start to hear the vocals of the band and I just need to say that although this guy sounds average-at-best, it seems like he isn't going to his full potential and it feels low and timid for the sound that we have already, though if anything I wouldn't say there is much to take from this track except salient and very lazy craftsmanship, the only thing that really saves this song is the guitar work which for me feels like the only thing that has any heart in it.

"Ultimate Panzer Battle":
The title sounds strong and at first with the intro the song feels like it may hold up, but as we hit into the actual song we start off with a slow bass and drum opener which is nice and all but still I am not really impressed yet as it comes across as boring. This can also be said for the guitars and especially the vocals ladies and gentlemen. I won't lie when I say everything in this one song is really not timed well at all and feels like it has been rushed, then again that would say the band was fast when all we have here is a slow mess which doesn't even sound at all like Thrash, it feels more like Death Metal if you were to try and add more to it.

"Irony of Life":
It seems that this band is really big on their bass openers, but something clicks as I listen on as it feels like the song has been tracked over a re recording at the beginning which if it is is kind of lazy. I hate to be harsh but with a lot of the material I have listened to on this record it seems to flow in the same pattern as the others and it looks like the bass is the only clear thing you can really hear on this record.

"Hypnosis":
At first we start with a fast opener which at first almost surprised me, but then we come back to that bass which is overpowering the entire track once more. I can hardly hear a goddamn thing on this record except for the bass and the drums, the vocals are so low it sounds like someone talking with a broken voice, and it continues with this same pattern for the entire song.

"Sypsis":
I really do not know what to say folks, I hate making bad reviews but it sounds like every other song on this record, almost feeling like the entire record is the same song, cut up; same broken vocals and same bass control as the rest. This feels like a very lazy attempt at making music, see I can respect these guys for recording music that they love but still there comes a point where you really need to focus on practice before rushing into a recording.

"Dark Illusion":
The song itself goes slow from the start with an actual decent intro, kind of makes me hope that this song progresses well for me as it feels soft and mellow with some actual thought put into it, everything about it feels calm and really well placed in every way; this might actually be the one song I like off this record. The song progresses onwards and does show a lot of what we have experienced along this record, but for once it holds up, except for the vocals which I still feel should have been worked on, maybe then the tone wouldn't have bothered me so much, but still god damn guys turn the bass down.

"Stillborn":
An almost-OK attempt, guys, but still kind of cheesy in a lot of ways, still you tried and that's what matters.

Right I won't sugar coat it, I really did not like this record that much and it is hard for me to say that as I love getting these kinds of bands that have the passion for the music that they love, but still it cannot excuse the fact that everything on this record is repetitive and bland and could have been done better, maybe as the band progress they may start to evolve and show us what for, but until then it still stands that this really needs polishing up.