From New Jersey there is a seemingly endless outpouring of new recording artists each year. Core genres like heavy metal have not been erased over time—they have simply mothered branches that form new categories. Straight from the source, the Jersey-native band Sydbarret, a young metal group looking to make their mark on the local scene. The vocalist spews opinionated words over dark guitar parts on their current release, The Swimmer. Throughout the album’s length, the singer rants on about the hardships of life and screaming is as close to singing as he gets. “Thank You For Your Time” is the perfect example of the angry tirades that form this record and is difficult to take seriously.
There are several small but much needed instrumental breaks on this CD. While listening, it becomes quite obvious that the weight of the group’s talent lies in the musicianship. An impressive solo is the focal point of the seventh track, “Transfusion.” This is arguably the most concentrated piece on Sydbarret’s track list. Despite the irony of the song, “For The Record,” an argumentative song about how success can be attained in the music industry without actual talent, the track is prog oriented and unique. Once the album closer of The Swimmer is behind you, you can’t help but wonder which direction this band will go in.
In A Word: Vexing
