Sintage - Paralyzing Chains

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The model of German Heavy Metal, created during the late 70s/early 80s fascinated the world, because it was a fusion of the massive weight of Heavy Metal with carefully arranged melodies. And such formula came to be known thanks to ACCEPT’s commercial success with pearls as “Restless and Wild” and “Balls to the Walls”, what influenced acts as GRAVE DIGGER, RUNNING WILD, and many others of the country (and some out of German borders, as ACID, CROSSFIRE, and many more). Of course that NWOBHM ‘kicked’ something on Germany as well and entered in the mix and this is what can be heard on SINTAGE’s first album, “Paralyzing Chains”. The words above are a fine description of what the album is about: a band that plays a form of traditional Heavy Metal influenced by the formulas of NWOBHM acts (especially IRON MAIDEN’s energetic approach on the age of “Iron Maiden”, “Killers” and “The Number of the Beast”) with clear traces of JUDAS PRIEST and German Heavy Metal School (if one can hear it clearly on “Spirit of the Underground”, this one must go to the doctor of ears as soon as possible), with tons of musical weight and energy.

Of course this formula is old and eroded by time, but’s good to hear a band with such young energy playing it at full force, and with a personal approach. Titus Garz is the one who produced “Paralyzing Chains” (and that did the mixing and mastering as well). The idea: to combine the modern and defined sound that actually can be done with modern technologies with the rough and crude sound of the past (to generate that organic touch of the 80s). Things worked in a very good way, allowing the band to sound clean and defined, but with a heavy outfit. It’s very good, but could be better.

Musically, no one can complain about what is offered on “Paralyzing Chains”, because the songs are transpiring honesty. And for a first visit on the quartet’s music, the right presentations can be done with “Midnight Evil” (a powerful and energetic song, filled with a NWOBHM set of elements, what means a strong and heavy work on bass guitar and drums), “Spirit of the Underground” (this is on that trend between fast and slow tempos, with very good guitar riffs and solos), “Wild Dogs” (another song with massive German Heavy Metal influences, with hooking guitar and good tunes on the vocals), “Escape the Scythe” (this one is filled with aggressive melodies, and here the vocals are really very good), “Blazing Desaster” (this is filled with some Old School Hard Rock influences, so there are many hooking moments on it), and “Rocking Hard”. But the entire album is very good.

Of course, SINTAGE shows some points that can evolve in the future (the vocals on high-pitched tunes is one of them, but please, it doesn’t mean to change the vocalist; and the other one is that the band have to consider to have a second guitarist), but as is shown on “Paralyzing Chains”, there are on the right path.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 7