It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a band and I’m actually thankful about it … It’s almost as if though I’ve unknowingly saved that very form of energy for the one band I had no faith in, but then had faith in… It’s complicated. Okay maybe not, so here’s the story…

I’ve had my eyes on Sindulgence for a while. The year was 2009 when I attended the Bludjinn Metal Fest in Cape Town. There were various bands mucking about on a stage which was known to be Cape Town’s biggest metal stage at that time. While some bands were epic,  many others failed.

But there they were … I could hear the mindless clashing of cymbals and violent screams coming from within as I entered the venue for the first time. There were about 20 kids lined up and headbanging before the stage and upon that very stage stood… SINDULGENCE!

I didn’t like what I was hearing… I probably even had the wrong band… Who knows. I was slightly intoxicated and with it being years ago, none of the above 4 paragraphs matter.

What matters though, is that Sindulgence have evolved into one beast of a fucking band. Their recently released debut album, Recollections has earned its rightful spot in my album collection and it continues to grow on me the more I listen to it to try and pick it apart.

Sindulgence have written songs like no other with various untraditional metal elements and unorthodox patterns. With low and deep Lamb Of God like screams and viciously heavy riffs combined with bone rattling beats, there’s certainly no doubt that Sindulgence are metal… and that’s where the genre-defining stops.

The album starts off with an eerie intro track called Room 302 which sets the dark tone for the rest of Recollections. I asked Ryan Eberlin (guitarist) earlier this week about the intro and other sound effects mixed into the album and this what he had to say: “[I] combined a bunch of different sound effects and modified a few presets [while I]created some of my own. I can’t for the life of me remember how the ef I did it though. I just went on a creative journey and did random shit until I liked what I had.” Some of the softer harmonious vocals aren’t very clear at times and it’s almost as if though it wasn’t mean’t to be part of the plan…   I certainly enjoy their brutal style nonetheless and the sound that they’ve managed to gain. Sindulgence have satisfied my everlasting heavy-seeking addiction with Recollections.