Blending metal rhythms and riffs with hardcore structures and sentiments, 'The Artificial Truth' comes blazing out of the traps at you. Opener, 'The Aftermath', is chock-a-block with fizzing shreds, warping sustain and flattened snare strikes, all topped off with an elaborate solo spot and a lacerated, acidic vocal. "Waiting for you / want to smash your face / count the teeth on the floor" - 'It Always Feels Good To Remove Scars' leaves little to chance in its lyrics, backing it up with an emotive chorus and a menacingly dark outro.
Here we have seven years of pent-up aggression, honed to a fine point by countless live performances, and Turkey's Since Yesterday clearly aren't ones for holding back. Having built their reputation up in their home country, a notorious metal wasteland, first with several demos and splits, you get a sense of the release that has come from feeling ready to release a debut full-length worldwide. Mere word of mouth is often a priceless commodity, and here it has been essential. Joining Horse The Band on tour seems to have been an important catalyst and, subsequently, scoring Will Putney from New York's Machine Shop Productions to produce, mix and master the album is proof enough of their raw talent. Once a ball like this starts rolling, it's like moths to a flame. Hell, it appears that even the legendary illustrator Derek Hess is on board and has been busy penning the artwork.
When stuck under the microscope, there's nothing spectacularly ground-breaking or standout here, but everything they attempt is performed at maximum effort and carries real class. 'Tales Of Redemption' highlights just how unafraid the band are to combine melody with power. The lead riff sticks out above everything, and when considered along with the rest of the clean, rambling guitar, it invites comparison with such bands as Avenged Sevenfold, Parkway Drive or Atreyu. The punk-laced, vitriolic vocals on tracks like 'Episode Two (The Worst Case Scenario)' and the latter stages of 'The Fall' are more reminiscent of Bleeding Through or As I Lay Dying. Also consider that 'Hey! Sleepwalker' and 'Dead Today' are shot through with bucking breakdowns, sections that ooze with the guts of an Unearth or Chimaira, and there's proof enough that this Turkish quintet have been stuffing themselves with the music of their peers.
There's little doubt that 'The Artificial Truth' is a fine metal album - even the hard-edged, slower track 'Sinatra Doctrine' bristles with utter pin-point class. The next big step for its creators is to dig deep into their vast well of talent and draw out something truly unique. They've done well to stamp their authority on a dying blueprint, but it does mean they've given themselves a tough task of bettering this. By now, though, Since Yesterday should be used to doing things the hard way.
http://www.myspace.com/sinceyesterdaytr
