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Sinheresy: Domino
Sinheresy Domino CD Album Review

Sinheresy: Domino

Modern Heavy Metal
3.0/5.0

On the strength of their 2013 debut album, Paint The World, Sinheresy has found both success and recognition in the European metal theater. Enough so, they were able to open for Secret Sphere, Almah, Dream Theater, Lordi's extensive 2015 tour, and more recently supporting Tarja Turunen. Four years on, Sinheresy arrives with their second long player, Domino.

Sinheresy Band Photo

Sinheresy

To be matter of fact, Domino is one of those records that, when you listen to the first song, you pretty much know what you're going to hear across the entire album. While you will notice some variation between and within songs, the Sinheresy formula consists of some basic elements. One is the abundance of heavy to coarse riffage, giving the band a modern metal sound. When the riffage is combined with thick d-tuned rhythm section, the pair become the dominant sound. Another element is the substantial keyboard layer which swings between simple piano to symphonic lushness to swirling synth quirkiness. That trio of elements essentially informs every song, and so makes every song sound like the next, falling like so many dominoes. You're hard pressed to catch a guitar solo, but they are there, as within Star Dome, Under Your Skin, and Without A Reason, but you have to listen carefully. Otherwise the crush of riffage, rhythm, and synths will distract you.

Those same things nearly crush the vocals and vocal arrangements. The lead vocals are female, then paired at times with male vocals. With the former vocals, Ms Petrini sings clean and sweetly; for the male vocals, Stefano Sain can add harmony, but singing leads he seems to struggle. Mostly Sain is charged with modern metal vocal multitasking: harmony first, then adding gruff vocals and something that sounds like heavy metal rapping as within My Only Faith. Basically, because of the music arrangements (and likely also singing in the non-native English), you can't understand them. You'll need the lyric sheets, which did not come with my electronic press kit.

With two spins of Domino, my conclusion came quickly. I found the album predictable, and so rather tiring. Honestly, I'm not sure Sinheresy is doing anything new, better, or different than their past music or other bands. But you may feel differently, and their success continues, which is saying something. Check out the video below.

Sinheresy - My Only Faith




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The Bottom Line

Sinheresy's Domino is one of those records that, when you listen to the first song, you pretty much know what you're going to hear across the entire album. The combination of similar riffage, d-tuned rhythm section, quirky keyboards make every song sound like the next, falling like so many dominoes.

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