Syndrome: Now And Forever

If music could be set to canvas Now And Forever, the new album from the Belgian project known as Syndrome, would paint a multitude of greyish hues. Some might consider this album a little monotone, more along the lines of a one note appetizer, not a full course meal. There may in fact be some truth to that but there is more here than meets the ear.

Syndrome is the brainchild of Mathieu Vandekerckhove (Amenra, Kingdom, Sembler Deah, Caan) who provides vocals and guitar and is joined by Colin H. van Eeckhout (vocals) and Josh Graham (piano and Moog).

The album consists of one twenty-eight minute piece "Now And Forever", a song dedicated to Mathieu's son Wolf. The music has a post rock feel with a heavy helping of ambient, drone and experimental musings. If you enjoy minimalist experimentation Now And Forever should fill that need. The overall vibe is rather bleak and introspective with a dreamy pace that never strays too far off course. The vocals are brief, mostly in the form of ominous whispers which only serves to enhance the minimalist soundscape. The droning sounds come in darkly woven passages, waves of sound amidst the fluttering voicings of guitar and percussion. There is a feeling of foreboding here but am not sure if I would call this music depressing. It is quite an engaging listen and as the song comes to a close the droning sounds steadily build getting more intense as the seconds unfold.

Although not complex, Now And Forever has something about it that can draw a listener in. One gets the sense that this is a deeply personal piece. Perhaps that is what makes Now And Forever such an engaging listen.

Track Listing:
1. Now And Forever (28:07)

Added: September 7th 2012
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Label's Official Site
Hits: 2044
Language: english

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