Antares is the second album of the Swiss band Sybreed. A second album is without a doubt one of the most important albums that a band will make in its career. A real 'make it or break it' milestone. Do they make a giant leap forwards (like Metallica) or do they stagnate (like Linkin Park)?

Sybreed�s style can be described as melodic death with traces of industrial in it. The industrial influences are mainly floating around in the form of samples and some vocal effects. Melodic death is a genre in which the competition is fierce, so it�s hard for new bands to find their place in the hearts of people or bring some original music to the table.

 

To be honest, Sybreed doesn�t do something that�s totally original or never done before. The real power of the music is that they possess songwriting skills. They have the ability to write memorable songs, with catchy riffs and hooks, but not overly catchy so that they would loose their edge. They walk the same path as Soilwork does, bringing melody and raw metal together. The difference between the two bands is mainly that Sybreed uses more industrial elements in their music.

 

One of the outstanding elements on this disc would be the vocals. Benjamin makes great use of his voice by alternating between harsh grunts and a clean voice. In comparison to other bands in this genre, the clean vocals actually sound great! His voice in combination with excellent drumwork of Dirk Verbeuren (who was hired for the drum duties on this album) and perfect shredding of Drop and Burn (people please, those names. I almost lowered the score because of it). 

Conclusion: this is just an excellent album, I had a great time listening to it. If they can keep up this level or even go beyond this level of playing, then I foresee a great future!