Without categorizing itself entirely Gothic or taking only from Power Metal, Howling Syn offers us the best of both worlds with this highly-anticipated debut album. Very catchy, the 14 tracks of the album mix influences in which we recognize Nightwish with Sophie's fairy voice and almost omnipresent keyboards whereas the lyrics remind us of Cradle of Filth's vampirism and the fantasy legends common to Power Metal. The instrumental richness combined to a touch of programming gives evidence of the quality that Howling Syn was able to offer to their fans, even if, in my opinion, the package doesn't reflect that point. Already imagining a theatrical side similar to that of King Diamond or Misanthrope, the path followed by the band leaves place to a great creative openness where gothic vocals and vast experimentations follow a near-death/thrash style (Vampyra's Symphony and Emperors of Tomorrow), which sometimes give us the impression that the band doesn't know exactly where to stand. Someone looking for diversity and the new European trends will be delighted by this enchanting CD that, like Unexpect, gives a new lease of life to the Montreal metal scene.

by Mathieu Gervais

Translated from French