Promising debut
Holy shit! I've just got into my DeLorean, my flux capacitor is charged, I'm about to hit 88 miles an hour, and BOOM!.....in in late 80’s/early 90’s L.A. Spandex is still in, hair metal rules, but this time its with a kick, not about the looks but the style of music. Syrym come with a good pedigree. Founded by ex-Babylon A.D. guitarist Ron Freschi, and vocalist Jeffrey Winslow, now roped in are a powerhouse rhythm section of Babylon A.D. drummer Jamey Pacheco and bassist Rich Talley.
Syrym’s style is influenced by all the great (and still great), and also some who were great but never hit the heady heights, for example, Freschis guitar style is very similar to ex-Lynch Mob (remember them?)and Dokken’s George Lynch (my fave guitarist in the late 80’s after Blackmore). I state Lynch Mob first as Winslows vocal style and the little nuances on the first three tracks (‘Foul Mouth Blues’, the heavier ‘Warpath’, and the catch chorused ‘Torn In Two’) and give us more than a passing nod to ‘The Mob’. Riff based, polished sound, sugar syrup vocals, all the hallmarks of that great 80’s style, very rarely produced and much often tried (and failed) in the noughties.
Melodic rock still has a bad rap, but has a huge following, just ask the organisers of UK festivals, Z-Rock, and Firefest, its ALIVE!!! Its great when a band comes along and offers you a credible outlet in this form when others fail abysmally. The melodic rock market is unbelievably full of bands trying to re-create the 80s sound. If anything, it’s a little over saturated. I’m a believer that cream really does rise to the top, and I have high hopes for Syrym especially if they can get their airplay on any of the popular AOR type internet stations, such as ARFM or Last.fm.
Their debut continues in a very strong vein, sing-a-long choruses a-plenty, and a well tried and trusted musical formula. Its not mind-blowing stuff, but Syrym have produced themselves a batch of well constructed and consistant songs which the melodic rock community will fasten onto and adopt.
Syrym have given themselves a head start on the pack, with most of the songs really hitting the spot. Highlights include, the excellent ‘Ugly on the Inside’, ‘Torn In Two’, ‘While America Sleeps’, and the Journey-esque ballad and album closer ‘What I’m Trying to Say’ a song far removed from the rest on offer, but still quality
The cd cover does the band no favours, making them seem like an album for an 80’s thrash band. That aside, its a great debut