Symphorce - Godspeed

*=Staff's pick	Forsight Everlasting Life No Shelter Nowhere* Haunting Black Water Wounds Will Last Within* Your Cold Embrance Without A Trace* The Mirrored Room Crawling Walls For You

Genre	Metal	Andy B. Franck	Vocals
Tracks	11	Cédric Dupont	Guitar
Runningtime	49 Min.	Markus Pohl	Guitar
Label	Metal Blade	Dennis Wohlbold	Bass
Release	05 Sept. 2005	Sascha Sauer	Drums
Country	Germany	-	Keyboards
Similar artists	Brainstorm

In my review of Symphorce's previous album Twice Second (2004) I expressed a wish for more melodies, and I have been heard. There are a bit more melodic elements here, and I like this better than the previous releases. The songs are more varied than on their previous albums and the overall sound is vital, energetic and are balancing very good on the heavy/power metal vs. thrash metal edge. Being produced by Dennis Ward (Angra, Pink Cream 69), the album has a clear and fresh sound. I still have a bit of a hard time for singer Franck's voice but it is getting better for each album. I used to think it was annoying and not suitable for their kind of music but I don't know if I have gotten used to it or if the man himself actually has improved.

I have always had a slightly hard time separating Symphorce and Brainstorm (singer Andy B. Franck's other band) since they in my eyes sound very alike and the vocals bring it even closer together. Both bands have grown better for every album, though, and Symphorce is probably the thrashier, more straight on band, while Brainstorm is more to the traditional metal side.

This is well played, well arranged metal with clearer and more distinct melodies, refrains, bridges and leads than before. What keeps them from being just another average german metal band is that they implement quite some progressive and thrasy elements in their music. That is also at the same time what Symphorce have going against them, since when that does not work all the way, it is a bit dull and boring (Black Winter, Your Cold Embrance). Then it just goes on being a wall of sound without really getting anywhere.

Nevertheless the good moments are in majority and there are plenty of catchy tunes yet with an abundance of thrashy riffs (Everlasting Life, Nowhere, Wounds Will Last Within, Without A Trace). With a bigger variation between the individual riffs and just a few more leads and solos next time, the grade is going to get even higher. And i hope that I too can learn to see the beauty in the voice of Andy B. Franck like the rest of the world seem to already have done. Then I guess I would appreciate this even more.

See also review of: Become Death , Twice Second

Production	Vocals	Compositions
7,5	6	7

Summary
7 chalices of 10 - Tommy