Syndrome 81

***From Brest, France, this is the debut full length from SYNDROME 81, who already left us with a handful of great singles and a couple of splits. This LP leans even further into the cold dark of traditional French Oi. Very melodic, catchy tunes with a layer of roughness mostly due to the anger in the vocals and rocking tempos. Like many things French, there is an underlying sense of existential hopeless despair layered with bursts of empowerment and perseverance. This is conveyed through dark anthemic lyrics and moody guitar leads that land somewhere between Camera Silens and later Blitz. A perfect soundtrack for a rainy day when you catch yourself questioning your existence in a doomed town. Though this album has an overall gloomy feel, in the depth of winter, you may find within this LP lay an invincible summer.