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Symetria – Symetria
Tripsquad Records
Release Dat: 09/2017
Running time: 38:43
Review by Dawn “The Metal Priestess” King
7/10
“Old school metal never died, it went back to it’s home in New Jersey, where it belongs.”
Symetria are a quintet from the Garden State of New Jersey, and this is their self-titled debut album released in September 2017.
The band first got together when core members, Vince Santonastaso (vocals) and Kevin Gust (guitar) met through a Craigslist ad, and after playing covers from the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Metallica, Santonastaso realised there was more to their musical life. The two of them signed up old friend Fernando Carrera on bass and Blair Smith on drums, and the initial line up of Symetria was formed.
The name Symetria derives from the Polish word for ‘symmetry’, although the literal translation would be “balanced and intelligent”, which is exactly how the members of the band see themselves and their vision for the future.
The band spent the autumn of 2016 writing and working up a live show, playing their first gig, in the November at a Toys for Tots charity show, to critical praise across the board. By now they had also been in touch with Tim McCurtie, former M.O.D guitarist, who had just formed his own label called Tripsquad Records, and Symetria were his first signing.
The band hit the studio with producers Eric Rachel (Burnt by the Sun and M.O.D) and Mcurtie, and they laid down eight tracks in seven days. Second guitarist, James Soto, also joined at around this time.
The band, themselves, are a bit of a throwback to the sound of the 80’s and 90’s, when bands such as Overkill, T,T Quick and M.O.D ruled the tri-state area. They are hard and heavy, with an underproduced, raw sound, and I have read other reviews almost berating the band for harping back to a sound of a by-gone era.
I, on the other hand, have no problem with a current band emulating a sound of the past, and even adding a little modern-day twist to it. It may have all “been done before” but I believe that is the beauty and magic of music. It can transport you back to a time and a place in the past, and bring back nostalgic memories, while still being part of the modern-day scene.
The album, itself, is played with the confidence and power of a band who have built up many years’ experience, with many of the tracks dealing with modern day themes and topics. The track “Flying High” deals with the ugliness of addiction (Kevin Gust’s addiction and recovery), “Too Late” calls for the immediate action for whatever it is you intend to do in life because tomorrow is never guaranteed, while “Venial Sin” is about the Seven Deadly Sins. Says Santonastaso: “a vinial sin is a lesser sin. I chose the name because I wanted to draw attention to the sad truth that so much of our lives have become trivial now, and so little really has meaning anymore.”
Ok, so this album is not going to win any major awards for originality, or break any new ground, but for a debut, I think this is a solid album that shows the band have a lot of potential.
Go and check them out, you may just like what you hear!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Wakening
02. Flying High
03. Vinial Sin
04. All The Same
05. Stomp
06. Time
07. Too Late
08. Symetria
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn ‘The Metal Priestess’ King and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of [user_login] and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.