It’s been over a year since I last opened the tome of the Obscurus Metalus, and told a tale from it’s eldritch pages. Coincidentally, the last time I did it was a Power Metal release, so why not do it again? Not wanting to do something from a popular band again, I decided to go for one that many might not know about, and it’s a shame, cause the band I’m covering today were definitely popular for a hot minute. It’s time.....for a look at Sinergy.
That’s right! Now, I had already taken a look at them in my overview in February last year, but now I’m taking a look at one album on it’s own merits. This beginning release definitely showed off a lot of the band’s potential, and for anyone that decided to listen to it.....it seemed like they could be something big. So, grab your sword & shield, say your prayers to the metal gods above, and enjoy this journey into the hallowed halls of Beware The Heavens. Let us depart!
Background
Taken from Metal Overview: Sinergy
“Our story begins in a joint world tour between Black Metal legends Dimmu Borgir, and Death Metal icons In Flames. DB keyboardist Kimberly Goss and IF guitarist Jesper Strömblad managed to meet, and the idea came up of a female-fronted metal band in the vein of Warlock & Doro. This idea could not be done at first due to time constraints, but once she quit Dimmu Borgir, it was time for her & her partner in crime to start their special project. Acquiring the services of bassist Sharlee D'Angelo (From Arch Enemy & Mercyful Fate), Ronny Milianowicz on drums, and Children of Bodom guitarist Alexi Laiho, the motley crew worked in 1998 on what would be their first release, and on June the 21st of 99, Beware The Heavens was released.”
Basic Description
Badass!
When I first listened to this album last year, I realized that this was something awesome, but at the sametime something lingered in the back of my head. Cue to earlier this month when I listened to it again, and I realized something.....this is Battle Beast! Well, more of a Battle Beast prototype to be honest. Sinergy isn’t quite as cheesy as the previously mentioned band, and Goss has a more softer feel with her voice sometimes, but the firm footing in both Power Metal & 80s nostalgia is highly evident. The drums are bombastic, the guitars spew lightning, and even the keyboarding all sound like they’re from 2 different timeframes.....but in a good way!
Best Track
As I stated last year, virtually every track is wonderful. Outside of just 2 tunes, there’s nothing bad on Beware The Heavens. However, to make things easy, I’ll mention the tracks I used as examples back in February last year. Venomous Vixens and Virtual Future are two great songs, with the former be a loud & furious track to kick ass to, and the latter sounds like typical Power Metal from the late 90s....but in way that doesn’t make it sound lame. You definitely don’t want to skip these two on subsequent listens!
Venomous Vixens
Virtual Future
Worst Track
Obscurity is the big weakness of this album, and by extension Sinergy’s discography as a whole. A lot of people know about Children of Bodom or In Flames, but they might not know about the band despite the musicians that composed the group. They’re all skilled in some way, and grouped together they’re fantastic, but it’s a shame that this collection of talent never brought a massive amount of attention to them. Still, other than this obscurity, I can’t think of anything else bad to say music wise (Apart from the 2 tracks I said were bad in the overview & mentioned earlier, but I didn’t want to repeat that). However......
Finding physical copies of Beware The Heavens is a huge issue! You can find it on the internet in digital form easily, but as far as it’s CD form it can be exceptionally difficult. Amazon & Ebay are the closest you’re every gonna get to finding Beware The Heavens in it’s physical form, but even then it’s not guaranteed. Ebay is a better option, and the pricing isn’t terrible for some copies. Still, it’s rarity definitely put’s a dent into this album’s otherwise impenetrable armor (Apart from the obscurity).
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:
Beware The Heavens
Overall Impression & Rating
Beware The Heavens is the start to a potentially long career. It’s obvious that Sinergy was devoted to Power Metal & nostalgia, and while they didn’t have massive attention, there was just enough that they had their foot in the door. It’s certainly something to listen to, and if you can somehow find the thing it worth a listen or two. It may be obscure & difficult to track, but it’s worth all of the time spent.
Beware The Heavens gets an 8 out of 10.
And that was Beware The Heavens. It’s a shame that they didn’t have a huge amount of popularity in the Power Metal community, but for the faithful that believed, the band was a diamond in the rough. If you want to go off the beaten path, then you might want to give Sinergy a go. Well, I got a Food For Thought/Thought For Food coming next week, and it’s one I’ve had planned for quite a while. Don’t worry.....it’s not political.
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If you want to know more about this band, check out my Overview in the link below:
Metal Overview: Sinergy
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