Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Sin Audio Summoned Flesh Company: Tower of Doom Records Release: 2008 Genre: Progressive thrash Reviewer: Hail and Kill

Sin's monster of a debut has something for everybody.

The next time you wonder how many bands from South East Asia you know, let Sin be the first name that's broadcasted inside your brain. For the majority of aspiring artists out there, releasing a first album is a milestone whose rewards are far less tangible than most investments. Oftentimes the material of your first try is unfocused, uninspired, and plain unprofessional; but not Sin.

Because their opening salvo at a lasting legacy, one "Audio Summoned Flesh," is such a punishing Heavy Metal romp, your ears WILL be ringing once the last song "Regeneration" falls silent. Blessed by near-flawless production and the band's unique take on extreme metal--this weird mixture of the Progressive stuff and Thrash--the whole of "Audio Summoned Flesh" is so humongous, you're left in awe.

Was that just two paragraphs of cheap praise? As hard as it is to believe, the band deserves it. They've stewed in their own scene for years, played in more dives than most others would endure, and carefully pieced together the material on this album for just as long. For Sin's homegrown fans, the anticipation was unbearable. What passes for a metal scene in the Philippines was abuzz for months.

Now it's out and everyone who waited for its release enjoyed it. It's time you did too. Opener "Amorphosis" is Gothenburg Death Metal you wouldn't mind hearing over and over again, but the album only gets into gear at the hammering title track, which is relentless in its delivery of crushing riffs, harsh vocals, and melody. While some songs do run a tad long and uneasily twists here and there, the best "Audio Summoned Flesh" has to offer are "Burning Hour," the breathtaking instrumental "Deathillion 2" and the mathematically-tinged "Psychometric Equation."

Packing hefty doses of classic guitar soloing, mind-bending grooves, a huge drum sound, and epic choruses, Sin's monster of a debut has something for everybody. Whether you ultimately like it or not is up to you.

Now the next time you wonder if there are any good South East Asian Metal bands, think one word--Sin.