Syr Daria - 2025 - Dark Carousel

(50:27; M&O Music)






















Track list:
1. The Beast Is Back 4:53
2. First Believer 4:07
3. Zugzwang 5:35
4. Legacy 4:36
5. Pogo 3:57
6. Tired 5:50
7. Fate 4:04
8. Lucifer 6:50
9. Mary Celeste 4:28
10. Carousel 6:07

Line-up:
Guillaume Hesse - vocals
Michel Erhart - guitars
Thomas Haessy - guitars
Pascal Husser - bass
Christophe Brunner - drums


French band Syr Daria was formed back in 2007, and just about every fourth year since then the band has been ready with a new studio production. The album "Dark Carousel" dates back to the fall of 2025, is the band's fourth studio album, and was released through French label M&O Music.

In terms of sound, mix and production, this is an album that gives me that charming underground feel. Kind of an updated variety of the sound I recall hearing on the album's by bands back in the 1980s that signed up for the independent metal labels at the time. Such as Mausoleum, Neat Records and others of a similar nature.

The music itself also comes with a little bit of an 80's charm. Traditional heavy metal is the common denominator throughout here, with majestic, atmospheric as well as more crisp guitar riff barrages and flowing guitar solo runs typical of 80's heavy metal. And with a vocalist that can have a raspy as well as a clean delivery, using both power and melody depending on mood and need.

The band have picked up and included a few different details along the way though. We get a token few more atmospheric laden interludes of the kind that gives me automatic associations towards  classic era Iron Maiden. We get crispy, vibrant songs of the kind I associate with David T. Chastain's CJSS too, just in case anyone remember that band. The rhythm section does switch to a more steady mode of delivery at times that remind me a little bit more of power metal, and we get some token riff passages where the tempo is a bit higher and where the patterns used remind a bit more of thrash metal. 

At least at some level, I suspect that defining this album as an updated and a bit more elaborate take on classic 1980's traditional heavy metal may well be in order.

I find this album to be quite the charming affair myself. I'd suspect that those who tend to treasure band's that take up the mantle of 1980's style heavy metal, expand upon this legacy a bit, and present and execute this in a manner that comes with that undefinable underground feel, should find this to be a rather interesting album.

Olav M. Björnsen, January 2026

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/Syrdaria.official.fanpage/
https://www.m-o-music.com/

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