I know what you’re thinking. That cover, those outfits, the absolutely killer orange-tinted glasses—they must be Italian. And it’s-a true, the members of Sinheresy1 hail from Trieste, which technically, in its annexed sliver, flies il Tricolore all the same. Also technically, Sinheresy plays metal, albeit in a variety that resembles the anthemic sympho-ish bounce of Olzon-era Nightwish smattered about with Björiffs to provide a kind of glossy crust. Given that Olzon helped provide a grounding rock edge to some of the most solid Nightwish outings,2 it’s safe to say that there’s an air of power to what Event Horizon has to offer. But is that enough?
On 2019’s Out of Connection, our very own black metal-fueled Doomie certainly thought so, proudly boasting that he’d turned in his kvlt kard “[didn’t] regret spending time getting to know this weird beast.” And, to his credit, he’s mostly right in stating that Sinheresy skirts well around the pop-leaning gag reflex that triggers in many metalheads, and they don’t do it slowly and carefully either. Event Horizon follows suit as a just over thirty-minute romp through sticky-sweet chorus melodies that linger like the buttery coating of salted and gooey caramel. Compared to the languishingly long outings that brought this band to life—the sounds of high fantasy, symphonic power that run easily closer to an hour or longer—Event Horizon’s snappy run and grounded themes of working through grief and finding a sense of hope (“The Calling,” “The Life You Left Behind,” “Event Horizon III Singularity”) feel like a breath of fresh air. And naturally, after a couple of listens, you can’t help but sing along to the powerful croons of “tell me how/can I forget you” and “Close your eyes and feel the rain.”
There’s one very specific reason for that, though: Cecilia Petrini rocks. Her ability to craft a vocal melody that far outlasts my desire to remember it is both frightening and wonderful. The number of times I’ve walked around since picking up this promo and humming to myself the refrain to “Castaways” or “Brighter Days” or even the brooding closer “Singularity” cannot be counted—they simply refuse to quit. Similar to Elyose’s release earlier this year, the honey-drenched choruses that make up Event Horizon’s most powerful moments break through any resistance I have to be metalhead searching for a twisted and churning breakdown or stank-faced, pinch-filled solo.
But unfortunately for her, and for my general enjoyment, Sinheresy often focuses on different aspects of their sound for a majority of the album, leaving many moments faceless against the inevitable comparison to their influences. The melodeath-ish riff tricks that open “The Calling” and carry the sullen nature of “Forbidden Desire” holds considerably less drive than when groove-crafty bands like Soilwork or Killswitch Engage played them back in the 00’s. And much of that lacking falls on the second mic of Stefano Sain, whose clean and gritless tone adds little to sections that, frankly, need more to mean anything. On songs with a forward power pop bounce to them (“Black Spirit,” “The Life You Left Behind”), the inevitable Nightwish Tuomas Holopainen versus female voice dueling that occurs rings all too familiar, and also all too underwhelming in total drama. For an album that runs enough synth ambience to feel cinematic, Event Horizon hits less like a full feature and more like a fly-by trailer.
Ultimately bands like Nightwish and Elyose work because the majority of output in a given album leans garishly into its strengths. Sinheresy has that option too, but frequently the path each work travels steers needlessly down lanes that run stained with the notes of past successes. Event Horizon does contain charming and beautiful moments—moments that when standing toe-to-toe against a tepid nu metal romp about our modern dystopia (“(R)evolution”) and an underdeveloped (yet beautifully ended) suite, make Event Horizon a hard album to digest in more than just its best pieces. I don’t think Sinheresy minds sounding like those who inspired them though. But when they do sound like Sinheresy, things go pretty well.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Scarlet Records | Bandcamp
Websites: sinheresy.com | sinheresy.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/sinheresy
Releases Worldwide: August 25th, 2023
