Sinergy - Suicide By My Side

*=Staff's pick	I Spit On Your Grave* The Sin Trade* Violated* Me, Myself, My Enemy Written in Stone Nowhere for No One Passage to the Fourth World Shadow Island* Suicide by my Side* Remembrance

Genre	Power Metal	Kimberly Goss	Vocals
Tracks	10	Alexi Laiho	Guitar
Runningtime	38 Min.	Roope Latvala	Guitar
Label	Nuclear Blast	Marco Hietala	Bass
Release	14 Jan. 2002	Tommi Lillman	Drums
Country	Finland	-	Keyboards
Similar artists	---

Suicide By My Side is the third full-length studio-release from this quintet consisting of above all the female vocalist Kimberly (Dimmu Borgir, Therion) and the brilliant guitar-guru Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom).
The other guys in the band are also very talented musicians but the former two must be considered as the most renowned.
Their sound reminds of that of Hammerfall's but without trying to imitate them.
I thought that the band in their previous album To Hell and Back had taken a big leap towards a more mature and better release and in my opinion they've done the exact same thing again.

This is very straightforward, cutting right to the chase power metal of a very high quality. The songs are fast and full of energy and with outstanding guitars, that is, great intros and solos.
Even the usual metal guitar-bending arrangements are a delight to listen to. That goes for the other instruments, bass, keyboards and drums as well. There's not much to complain about when it comes to that.
Kimberly's voice is absolutely great and she sings with a very aggressive attitude that really applies to me.

Chalice-songs are as good as every track on the album but if I have to mention a few I especially like the great opener I Spit on Your Grave, the almost equally bombastic follower The Sin Trade, the third one Violated, Shadow Island and the title song itself.

The only slow part of the release is the final instrumental track, Remembrance. The album is recorded and mixed at Studio Fredman, Gothenburg, by Fredrik Nordström, who also is the producer together with the band.
Many brilliant productions have been made there and this is absolutely no exception.

The only thing I'm missing is that the album could be a bit longer. The 38 minutes feel like a second that also proves the fact that time flies when you're having fun.
But with the talent this band possesses one could wish that they would make at least a few tracks that exceed the five-minute line.

It would be awesome to hear some greater guitar work during longer interlude parts and why not in longer intros as well.
On the other hand the shorter songs makes the album feel very intense and it leaves you a bit breathless when it's all over.
So perhaps I should be a bit careful with my wishes 'cause we just might get them on the next album…

And now the time has come for some serious chalice distribution. This is a true power metal album that contains almost all the elements and ingredients of a great release so the magic number will be quite high.
Sinergy truly rocks and Finland once again proves that it's a home not only of the thousand lakes but also a country of very talented musicians.
Trust me, 'cause if you like Hammerfall and that kind of power metal Suicide by my Side is definitely worth the cash you spend on it and that goes if you just like power metal in general.

Take my word for it - Sinergy will not disappoint you in this case.

Production	Vocals	Compositions
8,5	8,5	8

Summary
8 chalices of 10 - Mat