Συντρίμμια (Sintrimmia) - Repulsive Inexpression
"Shit has riffs, man."
Side-projects are a fascinating thing, but also a total crapshoot. For one, they can provide a glimpse into a different side of an artist’s sources of inspiration, or what might interest them besides their main source of creative output. People are complicated after all, that much is evident from all the black metal musicians who also have an ambient side-project. Yet at the same time, it does raise the question of how much effort has been put into it, especially when it appears to be a footnote in their catalogue. Συντρίμμια’s (Debris) Repulsive Inexpression piqued my interest owing to Ivan’s (of Kvadrat fame) involvement, not only as a musician, but also as a graphic designer. Seeing as the trio dropped this album back in 2023 without much fanfare, I couldn’t help but be a little curious about it. Was it a different take on deathgrind, a little fun thing to do on the side, or just an unremarkable album in the infinite ocean of the internet? One thing’s for sure, it definitely took me by surprise.
I tend to say that I’m above looking at aesthetics, but it’d be disingenuous to say that the record’s visual component didn’t play a part in piquing my interest. Boasting an incredibly unique logo, and a very evocative cover, I expected Ivan to have injected a lot of the dissonant and jangly influences running through Kvadrat’s work in the riffing presented here. While there’s a good handful of noisier and odd passages sprinkled throughout, this is by and large balls-to-the-wall deathgrind. All riffs and no frills. It doesn’t take long for that to become obvious either, as “Paranoia” kicks things off in crushing fashion, with hammering power chords giving way to pit riffs and a good deal of blasting. Admittedly, this descriptor could be used to describe almost every song presented here, and while that might sound like a negative, it’s hard to get bored of it in the span of 23 minutes, particularly when most tracks contain a standout passage, more often than not meant to bash your head in. Whether it’s the riotous and near-triumphant riffing in “Stacked in Sorting Bins”, or the granite slab breakdowns on “Breathing Through Numbers” and the closing “The Escapeless Maze”, the energy is at 100% front-to-back, even if the second half for the most part blows by without leaving much of an impression. Even the vocals follow suit, with Ivan alternating between raspy shrieks and his usual forceful roar, the latter sounding a little drier than usual. Not groundbreaking, but it does its job of maintaining the music’s heft and momentum.
That being said, there are some flourishes that lend Repulsive Inexpression a little more character than what the previous paragraph would have you believe. “Slaves in Modern Chains” is an early instance of this, with some very noisy licks screaming out from its depths, evoking some of the weirdness I originally expected, and ditto for “Para Bellum”, the record’s highlight and arguably the most well-rounded song here. From its noisy and dissonant riffing, to the up-tempo punk strumming, it covers all the bases at a succinct 1:39, while also being highly memorable. Seriously, the middle portion has been stuck in my head for months now. There’s other neat little touches to be found across the other tracks, such as the little blackened tremolo runs in “Catharsis”, but for better or worse they’re few and far in between.
Really, there isn’t that much to say about Repulsive Inexpression, and that’s not a bad thing. I tend to abhor single-sentence reviews on most websites, as I find them to be far less insightful or amusing than what the aspiring reviewer who posted it might think, but if I could’ve just posted the review’s title and call it a day, there’s a chance I would've done it. It’s not exactly an original work, but it’s well-crafted and has just enough details to help make it stand out as a little more than “a deathgrind record”. Do I wish there were more said details? Yeah, I like it when musicians mess around with an established formula. Do I think that their execution of said formula is without merit because it doesn’t break new ground? Far from it. Every composition here, even the unmemorable ones, showcase a real passion for the style, an intimate understanding of what makes a riff tick, and the energy’s consistently through the roof. Hard to fault them for any of these things, even if I wish they’d gone the extra mile.
Highlights: Stacked in Sorting Bins, Para Bellum, Breathing Through Numbers
I tend to say that I’m above looking at aesthetics, but it’d be disingenuous to say that the record’s visual component didn’t play a part in piquing my interest. Boasting an incredibly unique logo, and a very evocative cover, I expected Ivan to have injected a lot of the dissonant and jangly influences running through Kvadrat’s work in the riffing presented here. While there’s a good handful of noisier and odd passages sprinkled throughout, this is by and large balls-to-the-wall deathgrind. All riffs and no frills. It doesn’t take long for that to become obvious either, as “Paranoia” kicks things off in crushing fashion, with hammering power chords giving way to pit riffs and a good deal of blasting. Admittedly, this descriptor could be used to describe almost every song presented here, and while that might sound like a negative, it’s hard to get bored of it in the span of 23 minutes, particularly when most tracks contain a standout passage, more often than not meant to bash your head in. Whether it’s the riotous and near-triumphant riffing in “Stacked in Sorting Bins”, or the granite slab breakdowns on “Breathing Through Numbers” and the closing “The Escapeless Maze”, the energy is at 100% front-to-back, even if the second half for the most part blows by without leaving much of an impression. Even the vocals follow suit, with Ivan alternating between raspy shrieks and his usual forceful roar, the latter sounding a little drier than usual. Not groundbreaking, but it does its job of maintaining the music’s heft and momentum.
That being said, there are some flourishes that lend Repulsive Inexpression a little more character than what the previous paragraph would have you believe. “Slaves in Modern Chains” is an early instance of this, with some very noisy licks screaming out from its depths, evoking some of the weirdness I originally expected, and ditto for “Para Bellum”, the record’s highlight and arguably the most well-rounded song here. From its noisy and dissonant riffing, to the up-tempo punk strumming, it covers all the bases at a succinct 1:39, while also being highly memorable. Seriously, the middle portion has been stuck in my head for months now. There’s other neat little touches to be found across the other tracks, such as the little blackened tremolo runs in “Catharsis”, but for better or worse they’re few and far in between.
Really, there isn’t that much to say about Repulsive Inexpression, and that’s not a bad thing. I tend to abhor single-sentence reviews on most websites, as I find them to be far less insightful or amusing than what the aspiring reviewer who posted it might think, but if I could’ve just posted the review’s title and call it a day, there’s a chance I would've done it. It’s not exactly an original work, but it’s well-crafted and has just enough details to help make it stand out as a little more than “a deathgrind record”. Do I wish there were more said details? Yeah, I like it when musicians mess around with an established formula. Do I think that their execution of said formula is without merit because it doesn’t break new ground? Far from it. Every composition here, even the unmemorable ones, showcase a real passion for the style, an intimate understanding of what makes a riff tick, and the energy’s consistently through the roof. Hard to fault them for any of these things, even if I wish they’d gone the extra mile.
Highlights: Stacked in Sorting Bins, Para Bellum, Breathing Through Numbers
Rating: 75%
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