Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Just in time for the holidays, or maybe just a tad late, I give you, The Devil. Or at least a figurative interpretation thereof… if we're to believe what our eyes tell us -- since deriving the lyrical components here are all but crippled at the onset, this is a work of terror unleashed.
Another of the newer Swedish Death Metal varieties, first indications are not however of an In Flames comparison but rather we'll look more in the direction of an At The Gates --who else -- which says more for their dynamics and accessibility than anything else. We'll take most anything Mike Amott produced present and/or past, for his work is always up for the season. Stepping back a bit in time, it's not uncommon to think in terms of early Slayer running those sinister scales of foreboding bloodshed and fellow doomsayers Death.

To say Diabolical is a force all its own would be untrue, but they've managed to bring forth the elements of the many pioneering spirits in Extreme Metal music and merge them into something significant unto themselves. The key factor here is the riff work and soloing, two standout elements that add to the darkness they've opted to surround themselves in. "Suicidal Glory," "Ashes II," and the double-bass storm of "Caged Wrath," a Hell-spawned creation that features nearly off the board speed to go with their monotonous riffing.

Of the eight songs, there are few weak links to speak of -- rather the weaknesses crop up from time to time in the songs themselves, sometimes concentrated too often on their structural make up to lose sight of the finish line. It's a mild beef, but one that exists nonetheless.

Overall "Synergy's" pretty standout with many evocative guitar parts, less to do with the melody and more with strength of riff, evil-ridden scaling and eternal darkness.