SYK – Pyramiden

Everyone, I am sure, has their own personal elements that they look for in music. I am no exception to that rule, but occasionally something outside of that criterion grabs my attention. The material produced by Italian extreme metal band SYK does have some of the components that I seek. It’s complex, dynamic, diverse, and heavy but what makes it a little different are the vocals. Instead of the harsh variety normally associated with the genre, what vocalist Dalila Kayros delivers is clean but haunting.

Their third album “Pyramiden” is quite unlike anything I have come across before. If you take a heavy dose of Jinjer and Meshuggah and a pinch of Watchtower you might be close musically. To get the full effect, Bjork needs to go in as well, before a good old stir. Even then there is a secret ingredient that I cannot identify. The result is brutal and intriguing without being overly discordant. The cover artwork by Elena Romenkova gives a good visual representation of the style, a little shocking and chaotic.

“Pyramiden” is quite short at just 38 minutes and the opening title track occupies over a quarter of that time. The ten-minute number is in two intense parts that are separated by a calmer atmospheric bridge. The title of part I is not disclosed at this point, but part II is called ‘The Child’s Prophecy of Floods.’

SYK – Pyramiden Pt II | The Child’s Prophecy of Floods (click here if the video does not play)

The album name refers to an abandoned Soviet coal mining settlement on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. This remote and desolate location has become a tourist destination. It is also relevant to the general theme of the album. According to guitarist Stefano Ferrian it’s about finding the way to isolate oneself to all the uneasiness coming from society. Pyramiden is one of the farthest places on earth and could be a suitable space to face one’s anxiety.

A slower staccato passage starts ‘The Palest White’ but the pace and style change frequently as the track progresses. The same can be said about ‘The Hollow Mother’ but here there are more blast beats among the time changes.

SYK – The Hollow Mother (click here if the video does not play)

The poetic title of ‘When Fire Fell into Water’ would suggest this concerns a volcano. This is quite apt as the music is both beautiful and brutal.

The final track ‘Cell of the Sun’ sets off in frantic fashion as if racing for the finish line. It’s actually more of an obstacle race with all the complex time signatures and changes. It’s another longish track and a strong finisher with ironically, the mellowest ending.

This won’t appeal to everyone, but if you like your metal on the extreme side, this could be for you. It’s the sort of thing I enjoy if I’m in the right mood. That would be angry, which it seems is more and more these days.

Track List:

1. Pyramiden
2. The Palest White
3. The Hollow Mother
4. Zoas
5. Promethean
6. When Fire Fell into Water
7. Cell of the Sun