Reviews    sHEAVY - Synchronized (Rise Above/The Music Cartel)
by Daniel Hodgson

We're on the heels of this album's release and the smack talk has started already.

Taking a glance of a few message boards and it's the same old story - "Their singer sounds too much like Ozzy, yak, yak, yak."

Does Steve Hennesey still have the nasally Ozzy delivery? Well, duh. Is it it a bad thing? Hell, no. Let's face it, we are never going to get another Black Sabbath record with the original lineup, and if we do, the chances of it living up to the first six records is nil.

So what's wrong with having a current band delivering the goods in true Sabb fashion? Not a damn thing, I say. On Synchronized, sHEAVY's fourth full-length, the band continues with the driving hard rock they do so well, but with a heavier edge, thanks to the thick production by Mike Butcher - who produced Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage.

Butcher's production really beefs up Dan Moore's guitar tone and gives Ren Squire's that extra bit of "snap" his drums have been missing in the past. For those expecting the gloom and doom of the first Sabbath album and
Master of Reality, you may be a bit let down. To me, these guys take the Never Say Die record, filter out all the shit and deliver a good-time, beer drinking rock album. And no, this isn't "stoner rock". No fuzzy guitars and John Garciaisms are found here.

My definite favourite on Synchronized is the title track, with its raunchy riff, infectious chorus and some tasty synth work reminiscent of "Johnny Blade".

So is this album original? Who cares. People have dissected rock and roll so much lately. If it's good, it's good and Synchronized is, my friends, good. Now, if we could only get these guys together for a tour.

Purchase Synchronized at the Hellride Music Super Store

Listen to a Real Audio sample of Synchronized

Visit the sHEAVY website at www.sheavy.com

Copyright 2002 HellrideMusic.com
Review by Daniel Hodgson 11/12/02