SINPHOBIA – Awaken
Intertwining modern American groove metal with death textures, Italy’s Sinphobia straddles that area of the sonic spectrum that can be part Lamb of God, part modern death, and a hefty dose of Slipknot if given a deadlier, gruffer vocalist. Occasional one-word emphasis in a stunted manner makes "Guilty of Downfall" very easy to latch onto, beyond the catchy riff/tempo combination. The semi-blasting during "Thread of Salvation" diversifies the normal mid-tempo stomp parts, but for the most part these 10 songs don’t really separate themselves much beyond their influences.
It’s one thing to be aggressive, groovy, and possess stunted riffing/screams – but another to transform the parts into distinct, memorable songs. Probably sounds like a broken record, "Awaken" just doesn’t have the right originality/ execution combination to get beyond a cursory outing.