SINNERY – A Feast of Fools
- Posted on 19-05-2016
Like a battering ram, Israel’s Sinnery are a group of twenty-something musicians putting an honest thrash approach to the fire for their debut album "A Feast of Fools". Employing everything from huge gang-oriented choruses to fluid bass work against the wall of rhythm guitars, quick hitting transitions, and monstrous mid-tempo to faster drum tempos, songs such as "Built to Kill" and "Holy Grounds" straddle the American aggression with European finesse for an infectious songwriting platform.
Towards the end of the album the quartet flex a little more of their dynamic muscles in longer formats – the 8:21 "Symphony of Sorrow" having a serene, clean opening for the first quarter before the arrangement fluctuates between heavier riffing and quieter, reflective parts, the lead work very in tune with the pacing while not all flash and dash. Guitarists Alon Karnieli and Idan Kringel enjoy supplementing the rhythm riff foundation with a number of harmonic spotlights – "Holy Grounds" and the closing title track serving up two examples of their solid axe ethics. Alon also doubles up on vocals, and his word spew can be gritty and speedy in a clearer Mille meets Tom Araya way – making things interesting on a more controlled crusher like "Black Widow".
Usually younger, upstart bands are more intent on fusing a lot of influence from their heroes and liberally cutting and pasting their favorite riffs to pass off as their own. Sinnery remarkably challenge the listener as "A Feast of Fools" offers a lot of progressive playing for a thrash band – coloring their sound with a number of traditional/classic textures while still being true to the tenets of thrash. One of the surprises of the year and a band to really keep an eye on for the coming years.