Just squeezing through tough competition with Alluvial and Frozen Crown, Canadian act Sumo Cyco snag album of the month for their energetic and fun Initiation. An album that twists and turns, sticks in your head instantly, and keeps you entertained from start to finish. The band is doing something fresh and exciting in a land where many choose to put out the same, safe material. That alone should make some eyes wander to the act, which is all about blurring the metal lines with a multitude of surprises.
An excerpt from Kyle McGinn’s 9.5/10 review, which posted on May 2nd:
With all forms of music, there’s a certain level of homogeneity that comes up due to the sheer number of bands/artists trying to squeeze into a somewhat defined sound. No one is going to accuse Canadian act Sumo Cyco of this though, as the group has developed such a massive blur between genres and styles across their previous material that there’s just no box large enough to contain them. For their third full-length (and first for Napalm Records), the band continues to knock down wall while providing a cohesive and incredibly fun listen.
Given the increased reach due to Napalm, and Initiation being the strongest set of songs from Sumo Cyco to date, the band is ready to take off and soar. While some may find Initiation to be somewhat polarizing in its disregard for the hard rock/metal rules, there’s no denying the unique flair that Sumo Cyco champions. If you want an album that’s going to make you torn between banging your head, flailing around dancing, and shouting like a pop star, Initiation is going to make you grin from ear to ear.
Read the entire review HERE
Check out vocalist Skye Sweetnam’s thoughts on the record (and more) HERE