Sinoath
Anamnesis

The Sinoath are a historical name in the Italian metal scene: the group from Catania has been active since as far back as 1990. Initially devoted to extreme death-black metal, Sinoath slowly "softened" their sound to embrace musical territories close to the seminal Black Sabbath. It's no coincidence that for their new album, titled "Anamnesis", they signed with Genoa's Black Widow, a true point of reference for followers of the genre. In "Anamnesis", the settings are dark, heavy, and oppressive in the best "Sabbathian" tradition. Slow, distorted guitars, a cadenced drumbeat, and ghostly keyboards genuinely manage to create an occult atmosphere. From the initial title track, we are projected into a misty landscape, in a countryside shrouded in fog where one can glimpse, in the distance, the ruins of an old manor. The following "Saturnalia" is characterized by insistent and obsessive drumming that then gives way to slower rhythms: the track continues at a frantic pace to end solemnly: we are not too far from certain 70s suggestions. After the incisive "Journey Unknown" featuring an "indemoniato" growl voice, it's time for the brisk "Join Us". But the highlight of "Anamnesis", in my opinion, is the lengthy "The Absolute Nowhere": the beginning is mystical and very atmospheric, the track evolves, amidst sudden time changes, towards dark-prog and psychedelic solutions with keyboards highlighted to create an effect almost like a horror movie soundtrack. Truly a great piece with a very engaging finale! It closes with "Arcadia", embellished by acoustic guitar flourishes and a decadent, dreamlike aura that envelops us in a dark and gloomy shroud. We are certainly in front of a successful album, even if inevitably derivative: fans of the genre will appreciate it.