Sinergy is one of the most exceptional power metal acts ever to emerge on the Scandinavian scene. Considered a super-group this project managed to combine all the best elements of power, melodic, death and heavy metal, ultimately creating their own recognizable style. Originally, the idea to form the project came in 1998 from vocalist Kimberly Goss (who was at the time the keyboard player for Dimmu Borgir; in the past she performed with such bands as Therion and Avernus) and guitarist Jasper Strömblad (known from In Flames). The two met during a joint world tour and discussed the possibility of forming a female-fronted metal act. The idea was put on hold for some time, but soon after Goss left Dimmu Borgir and moved to Sweden, Sinergy once again became a subject of many discussions. Finally, with the addition of guitarist Alexi “Wildchild” Laiho (Children of Bodom), drummer Ronny Milianowicz (Dionysus) and bassist Sharlee D’Angelo (Arch Enemy, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars), Sinergy became a fact and the collective begun working on their debut material…
Today Metal Mind Productions presents exclusive re-releases of Sinergy's complete discography, including “Beware the Heavens”, “To Hell and Back” and “Suicide By My Side”, showcasing the sheer brilliance of one of Finland’s most talented metal groups.
“Beware The Heavens” (1999)
Produced by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, the album became very successful among critics and metal fans worldwide, delivering a refreshing dose of modern power metal, in the same time managing to retain the genre’s classic feel. Basically, the idea was to bring back the essence of female-fronted bands, without the unnecessary operatic and gothic elements which dominated the 90’s. With high-speed driven tracks such as “Venomous Vixen”, “The Fourth World” (with an intriguing keyboard passage) and “Warrior Princess”, Sinergy proved their skills in composing classic fast-paced metal anthems. Kimberly’s voice, often compared to Doro Pesch, fitted the music perfectly, which was best heard in the amazing ballad-like tune “Razor Blade Salvation”. New edition includes a bonus track.
“To Hell And Back” (2000)
The LP continued to exploit the musical formula found on Sinergy's first offering, with one particular difference – this time Kimberly’s vocals were definitely heavier and even more rooted in the 80’s power metal tradition. The band was still all about fast and furious metal tunes such as “The Bitch is Back” (brilliant opener!), “Lead Us To War” or “Gallowmere” (with some truly impressive soloing), but they also had some tricks up their sleeve, like the breathtaking power-ballad “Laid To Rest” or the absolutely surprising cover version of Blondie’s “Hanging on the Telephone”, which concludes the album. Overall, “To Hell and Back” was a strong follow-up that helped Sinergy become an acclaimed name on the Finnish metal scene. New edition includes 3 bonus tracks.
“Suicide By My Side” (2002)
This time the band took no prisoners, delivering a collection of their heaviest, most brutal songs yet. Kimberly’s vocals became more aggressive than ever – violent screams replaced nearly all of the clean singing parts found on the group’s previous LPs. Such songs as the opening “Spit On Your Grave” and “Violated” were brilliant examples of straight-forward metal heaviness. Other highlights included the ballad-like “Written in Stone” and “Shadow Island”, a song inspired by the video game “Alone in the Dark”, which featured vocal performances by Marco Hietala and Alexi Laiho. The album ends with a 2-minute piano composition called “Remembrance”, dedicated to the victims of 9/11. New edition includes 3 bonus tracks.
Sinergy’s re-issues will be available in new digipak editions, each limited to 2000 copies. The material was digitally remastered using 24-Bit process. The release date is scheduled for 24th August in Europe and 6th October in USA (via MVD).
Bio
Originally, the idea to form the project came in 1998 from vocalist Kimberly Goss (who was at the time the keyboard player for Dimmu Borgir; in the past she performed with such bands as Therion and Avernus) and guitarist Jasper Strömblad (known from In Flames). The two met during a joint world tour and discussed the possibility of forming a female-fronted metal act. The idea was put on hold for some time, but soon after Goss left Dimmu Borgir and moved to Sweden, Sinergy once again became a subject of many discussions. Finally, with the addition of guitarist Alexi “Wildchild” Laiho (Children of Bodom), drummer Ronny Milianowicz (Dionysus) and bassist Sharlee D’Angelo (Arch Enemy, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars), Sinergy became a fact and the collective begun working on their debut material…
“Beware the Heavens” was ultimately released by Nuclear Blast Records on June 21st, 1999. Produced by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, the album became very successful among critics and metal fans worldwide, delivering a refreshing dose of modern power metal, in the same time managing to retain the genre’s classic feel. Basically, the idea was to bring back the essence of female-fronted bands, without the unnecessary operatic and gothic elements which dominated the 90’s. With high-speed driven tracks such as “Venomous Vixen”, “The Fourth World” (with an intriguing keyboard passage) and “Warrior Princess”, Sinergy proved their skills in composing classic fast-paced metal anthems. Kimberly’s voice, often compared to Doro Pesch, fitted the music perfectly, which was best heard in the amazing ballad-like tune “Razor Blade Salvation”. Unfortunately, at the end of 1999 Goss moved to Finland, making rehearsals extremely problematic. What is more, certain members were way too busy with their original bands to fully participate in the Sinergy project. Eventually, the original lineup dissolved, leaving Goss and Laiho the group’s only remaining members. Nevertheless, the two did not give up on Sinegry and soon a new lineup was assembled, this time consisting of Finnish musicians – guitarist Roope Latvala (founder of the legendary Finnish heavy metal group Stone; later he played with Children of Bodom), drummer Tonmi Lillman (known from To/Die/For) and bassist Marco Hietala (from Tarot).
Sinergy’s second album, “To Hell and Back”, hit the stores on June 26th, 2000. The LP continued to exploit the musical formula found on the first offering, with one particular difference – this time Kimberly’s vocals were definitely heavier and even more rooted in the 80’s power metal tradition. The band was still all about fast and furious metal tunes such as “The Bitch is Back” (brilliant opener!), “Lead Us To War” or “Gallowmere” (with some truly impressive soloing), but they also had some tricks up their sleeve, like the breathtaking power-ballad “Laid To Rest” or the absolutely surprising cover version of Blondie’s “Hanging on the Telephone”, which concludes the album. Overall, “To Hell and Back” was a strong follow-up that helped Sinergy become an acclaimed name on the Finnish metal scene. The album’s release was followed with a memorable tour alongside Nightwish. Sinergy even appeared on Nightwish’s DVD “From Wishes To Eternity” in a scene when chosen support group members entered the stage pretending to be Nightwish. Ironically, Marco Hietala, who was playing the role of Nightwish’s bass player, Sami Vänskä, was later on given the job as the band’s full-time musician after Vänskä’s departure in 2001.
Sinergy’s third album. “Suicide By My Side”, was released on January 14th, 2002. This time the band took no prisoners, delivering a collection of their heaviest, most brutal songs yet. Kimberly’s vocals became more aggressive than ever – violent screams replaced nearly all of the clean singing parts found on the group’s previous LPs. Such songs as the opening “Spit On Your Grave” and “Violated” were brilliant examples of straight-forward metal heaviness. Other highlights included the ballad-like “Written in Stone” and “Shadow Island”, a song inspired by the video game “Alone in the Dark”, which featured vocal performances by Marco Hietala and Alexi Laiho. The album ends with a 2-minute piano composition called “Remembrance”, dedicated to the victims of 9/11.
Soon after “Suicide By My Side” was released, Tonmi Lillman decided to quit the band. He was first replaced by Janne Parviainen (known from Barathrum) in 2002 and then by Mats Karlsson (Seventh One, Dreams Fall) in 2005. Also Marco Hietala had eventually left the band due to his commitments to Nightwish. His successor was Lauri Porra, known from working with Stratovarius and Kotipelto. Currently the band is preparing to release their fourth LP – “Sins of the Past”.
