Sintax – Nano3000 (Sliptrick Records)
Thursday, 11th February 2021
Originally hitting the scene in 2010, Sintax hail from Israel – blending together a modern mix of groove-oriented thrash metal for this second full-length Nano3000. Choosing to tackle the perils of technology against humanity throughout the eight-song outing, it aligns well with the aggressive music that can be quite melodic in spots and then vicious in others. The combination of ripping guitars, pummeling tempos, sophisticated low-tuned power, and impassioned vocals assures the listener will not be bored, as these musicians know how to balance out the heaviness and brutality with the right amount of catchy hooks, grooves, gang-infused background voices, and stellar/exotic guitar nuances.
The back and forth guitar work that shifts into rhythm overdrive makes “Reefers Sting and Honey” a quick hitting first half highlight, getting all the key parts out in under three-minutes – while the follow-up “Most Hated Man in the Universe” has pertinent galloping and half-time staccato-oriented sequences that keep heads bobbing and circle pits busy. It’s as if these gentlemen have studied a bit of second-half Bay Area thrash acts like Death Angel and Forbidden, adding in a mix of Havok, Soulfly, and Trivium – then swirled it about into shorter three to four and a half-minute arrangements. When they choose to be more mid-tempo you get to experience some sinister bluesy lead breaks with slight bass intricacies for “Shooting Stars”, while executing left-field Wild West guitar squeals during the beginning of the otherwise thrash monster “Lethal and Armed”. The caustic screams and impassioned bellows emanating from Yehi Zaken keep Sintax in that modern realm much like Lamb of God and Trivium, ready to grab you by the throat and explode in deepest measures (check out the ending scream for “Lethal and Armed”).
Six years removed from Sway for a Better Day, Sintax deliver a tidy record with Nano3000 that balances modern groove/thrash musical content with the right hooks, riffing, and dynamic pacing to appease most followers of each movement.
