Lyrics
Praise for 'Of Patriots and Tyrants'
"...[V]ocals, that are perfectly done, but are not overdone :) I would also consider this album as a grower, and it is normally the albums that grow that stick around the longest... what I call thinking person's music, it is a good effort and it deserves an 8/10. -- Dave, Ravenheart Music
“…[P]owerful soprano vocals of Irene Jericho in conjunction with some seriously heavy and melodic guitar work … a beautiful work of art that is a bit different than a lot of bands with female operatic singers … overall killer sound … a fantastic album that could very well hold it's own with just about any other band. "Of Patriots And Tyrants" is a tremendously satisfying effort that is worthy of repeated listenings.'' Tony Cannella – FEMME METAL
[Cassandra Syndrome] takes the music into some new directions... metal, with a first rate female soprano driving the train…she seems to have the ability to switch between delivery alternatives in the mode of a Helena Iren Michaelsen and to a similarly enticing effect…the music is essentially a wonderful vocal flowing over a guitar / drum base… The guitar work is a solid traditional heavy axe, one that flows in the grand tradition of that American art form. It occasionally goes to lighter moments and interacts well with the rhythm section provided by the bass and the drums… However, it's mainly traditional American guitar driven metal with the lovely vocals doing the story telling. But, with Cassandra Syndrome, it's the story telling that is at the forefront, once you get past the beautiful vocal doing the telling. Cassandra Syndrome looks at the world and doesn't really like much of what it's seeing. A world sick in the physical sense, and blind in the literal sense. Oceans in peril, climate on the brink, war as a socially acceptable art form and the largest and most powerful society on the planet largely blind to the disaster on its door step. These are the themes in Of Patriots and Tyrants, and thank god someone is talking about it...addresses a number of topics ranging from environmental concerns to wars of choice... Cassandra is a metal based call to arms; a plea to recognize that life is fragile and that the earth that supports it must be nurtured. The guitars thunder as an earthly cry to listen, a warning to heed… Of Patriots and Tyrants is not your customary Gothic theme. Where Nightwish, Therion and the Morton Veland bands address the mystery of the eternal and remind us that our short mortal existence is but a flicker in eternity, Cassandra reminds us that that flicker may be all we have. Until we take that path beyond the veil, we are still in this mortal reality and what we do here is important. The name Cassandra is, of course, taken from the Trojan seeress who prophesized the fall of her beloved city but whose warnings were ignored. Let's hope that this version gets a better review from the locals, and a better result. -- Dr. T, Sonic Cathedral
"[Irene's] voice swoops and soars admirably...Kackley lays down some serious solos throughout the album, with the aforementioned "Burning" featuring one of his most elaborate. He and Cariola are the driving force behind the dark, angry undertone that permeates Of Patriots and Tyrants...Bottom line - Of Patriots and Tyrants is a good, interesting album with thought-provoking lyrics. The band displays plenty of variation throughout the disc, from the heavy "Phoenix" to the acoustic folk ballad "Wild". Irene provides significant vocal and visual charm to compliment Cassandra Syndrome's heated musical edginess..." -- Harvest Moon Music
"Many people like to dismiss the metal genre as being nothing more than a cacophony of noisy guitars, pounding drums, and wretched screaming that is created and enjoyed only by devil worshippers and angry teenagers. Of course, metal is like any other genre of music, full of various subgenres and chockfull of people who are capable of exhibiting a remarkable level of musical skill. Hailing from Frederick, MD, Cassandra Syndrome opt for the more gothic route of metal, with Irene Jericho displaying her vocal prowess through layers of operatic melodies and harmonies that complement the band's restrained yet energetic style of metal that owes to the likes of Nightwish and Streams of Passion. Right from the fluttering tones of "Phoenix" to the soaring choruses of "Mirror Mirror" and especially "Burning," Irene's voice is but the most noticeable and upfront aspect of the band's overall talent. With Chris Kackley churning out his progressions of crunchy guitars and Joe Cariola ably backing with subtly smooth bass lines, the music is loud and raucous as any metal group, but with a command of structure and melody that keeps it from descending into convention or aimless noise. The pair even provides the occasional backup vocal accompaniment to give songs like "PTSD" and "What We Sow" an added dimension of heavy metal power, though without resorting to gratuitous growling or grunting. Worthy of mention are the percussion and drum lines of Jay Jericho, for instead of a standard drum kit, his instrument of choice is the Zendrum, a module of drum pads that simply need to be seen to be believed; in the live environment, they sound as close to the real thing as electronic drums can get. Of course, on record, they sound just as realistic to provide a marvelously organic rhythm section." -- Ilker
Yücel, ReGen Magazine
"I have never heard a Zen drum played in this genre of music prior to listening to this and I thought it was cool as hell! Kudos to Jay Jericho on the Zen drum. Amazing. Chris Kackley on the lead guitar was dark, edgy and gothic. I'm a bass fan so I was very impressed with the smooth bass lines of Joe Cariola...
[Irene Jericho] is beautiful, talented and has an incredible operatic voice...
I loved Irene's magical pipes and I really felt her angst. The music was dynamic and possessed that irrational clarity I look for in metal music." -- Stephanie Wilson, Revolution Magazine
"This American combo is definitely different in style…[s]oprano Irene Jericho adds a rather classical touch to the composition …totally different than what we've been used to hear from bands like Within Temptation or Leaves Eyes…“What We Sow” and “Burning”, being definitely two highlights. Cassandra Syndrome is miles away from the average gothic formation and that's definitely their best exponent". -- Side-Line.com
"This album presents a dark and mystical theatre with heavy guitar and bass, hammer hitting drums and vocals which draw you into an angelic seduction." -- Kindra RavenMoon, Brutalism
"I am [reviewing ‘Of Patriots and Tyrants'] not just because the band truly deserves some recognition, but because I want to promote environmental consciousness as a lyrical theme…Cassandra Syndrome has validated their choice of theme through the necessary "metalness" of their texts (e.g. the pointing of fingers, provocation, strong emotions and, of course, apocalypse/death and destruction). As a bonus, Irene Jericho manages to do what Tarja Turunen never did: do classical vocals well and to put them to good use…if you're into Within Temptation 's 'Mother Earth' then know that 'Of Patriots and Tyrants' follows this very vein and it is clear that the band has accomplished a solid identity of their own despite doing so. I also hope that other musicians take some notice of this release and get some inspiration on how to wrap environmental issues in a very metal casing". -- Arnstein H. Pettersen, Doom-Metal.com
"The showpiece here is Irene Jericho's lush soprano voice, which is contrasted by straightforward percussion, heavy guitar work, and resounding bass licks. Lyrically, the band laments that humanity is so apathetic toward the destruction of the environment and hence the future. Standout tracks include “What We Sow” (great bass work), “PTSD” (heavy and harsh) and “Skadi's Touch” (good guitar work)." --
Octavio Ramos Jr., Explicitly Intense |
