Sybris
Issue #25
Sybris (FlameShovel)
By Bill Copeland
Published: September 1st, 2005 | 1:34pm
Moody but never weak, Sybris creates eerie soundscapes without losing its rocking edge. With deceptively complex music, the band is slightly similar to U2 and can build a lot of sound around a simple beat. The driving beats and purposeful stride of guitarist Phil Naumann and guitarist-vocalist Angela Mullenhour aren't lost in any tracks, even though each song had a unique tone.
Mullenhour, whose plaintive tone and pop-rock squeal approach reminds of many of the self-possessed female vocalists from the early-'80s, packs a punch with a raw emotive quality that never tires. Her bandmates constantly mirror her energy and tone. Even when they slow it down on the odd tune "Blame It On The Baseball," Naumann's forlorn guitar melody comes sailing in while Mullenhour's voice sounds like its being channeled from some other unhappy lifetime. "Hobo Detail Shop" has a simple 4/4 beat, but the guitar and vocal dynamics make it sound like an anthem while the merciless rhythm section speeds it up.
Changes also take place in the most unexpected spaces — just when a song is about to return to the chorus or verse, the tempo gets faster or the dynamics get louder. Because most of these tunes could find a home on alternative radio, Sybris should be looking forward to bigger and better things.
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Sybris' official Web site
Sybris' Myspace page
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