syringe. decided to introduce themselves with an eight-song album. That takes a lot of confidence. phenomena is a rock album. It’s a rock album that uses genre standards to deliver an album that’s great from start to finish.
“Cogito? (error-some)” starts the album. And it reminds me of the late 1990s U.S. rock and the 2010-2013 Korean rock era. The band uses a generally standard composition style so there aren’t any surprises. But that’s what makes syringe. a compelling listen. The switch from “Cogito? (error-some)” to “Being your nail” isn’t a far step. Yet syringe. present an addictive track to grab your attention.
You’ve heard variations of all of these songs before. The difference is that their songs feel complete without overloading the tracks. Recent releases featured an overloaded lead guitar or an overuse of melodic layers that bloated verses. For syringe., everything is perfect, honestly. Even the breakdown in “Depth” feels like it should be there and doesn’t last longer than it needs to.
My favorite song is “Karuna.” Mainly because it sounds like a song I would have heard in 2012. It’s a smooth and groove-focused track that moves in waves through each verse. The composition and arrangement let each member have a place, and it’s just a very well-crafted song.
While syringe. live in a rock world, the band shows variety on “The Flea.” It has the potential to be used as an OST track. The lighter tone is a nice switch that also doesn’t overshadow the main album narrative.
Debuting with phenomena, syringe. show success. The album is solid. There aren’t any throwaway tracks and the band-centered sound is a lot of fun to listen to. I think they can expand to create a bigger sound for their next release but they shouldn’t stray too far from this starting point.
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Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.