Explosive new music from the creative force of Syblianta brings further clear development of structure, sound, and substance. The debut was impressive in itself, and this project seems to all the more boldly balance intensity and melody, story and sentiment, across a series of tracks inspired by Bible stories and events.
Featuring cleverly reimagined tales for a modern-day exploration of the journey from anger to forgiveness and awakening, Still Naked offers ten electronic rock and metal songs, with the evocative programmed vocals of Sybilanta adding the passion and power akin to the female leads of new metal’s past.
Still Naked is a sensational title-track, and the perfect way to introduce this project. The concept rings loudly, and the structure, the production, the delicacy and distortion, all completely enthrals you from start to finish. It’s gentle then gritty, thoughtful then outspoken, and the concept quickly connects to the image of the Apple being eaten, and the underlying stories of this album.
Escape takes that storytelling deeper still, with the resounding ‘look but don’t taste’ lyric elevating a fierce metal roar and spacious, tumbling rhythmic verses. Then for Flood, a self-explanatory moment, a dreamy riff is simple and distinct, before a soaring cinematic rock soundscape completely flips the script. A haunting portrayal, less snappy and more smooth – think Evanescence rather than Paramore, and something like neo-classical production offering a vast, otherworldly escapism.
For Tower of Tongues, a brilliantly original leading riff, almost retro-electronic-oriental by nature, precedes a heavy-metal distorted pattern, and juxtaposed vocal delicacy and echoes enchanting and emotive. Sybilanta is the master of contrast as ever, and this track moves from intense metal to trip hop in small doses, then to sheer alt-rock in the anthemic weight of that Linkin Park-esque chorus. An unmistakable standout for many reasons.
Salt later is personal, intimate, with impending drama in the ambiance and a whispered, hypnotic vocal build up. It’s a powerful story poetically delivered, and the power-chord progression and spaciousness work beautifully as one, evolving slowly but surely towards an intoxicating peak.
Sybilanta’s creativity shines brightly in every way. The structure of each song, the changing tones, the instrumental variety, the performative versatility – everything in unison lets Still Naked keep things familiar but consistently unpredictable. Consider Dare, alternative and gritty, unique in production and delivery alike, almost pop-punk and playful then terrifying in its call-and-response presentation of the story.
Afterwards, mildly oriental cinematic design lets The Coll relay the story of the snake and its implications in modern life – we’re thrown into a theatrical and engaging groove, and the vocals and instrumentals join forces faultlessly, for a quirky, chaotic look at poison and temptation.
The final three tracks of Still Naked depict a clear shift in sentiment. Golgotha uses strings and heavy drum hits to take on ‘the end of the cycle’, and it’s a brilliantly consuming audio venture, with plenty to unpack throughout its changing set-up. Then for Reborn, we feel the euphoria of new possibilities, the optimism of progression towards clarity and forgiveness, towards courage and a new start. It’s a huge track but not intense, just light and ambient, impassioned and even gospel-like in its multi-vocal warmth and wonder.
Reborn is crucial to the beating heart of Still Naked as a conceptual experience, and it paves the way finely towards the colourful synth-led high-tempo and celebration of Revelation. Here things come to a memorable end, as Sybilanta meanders through a complex, long-form melody and story, somewhat like a stream of consciousness, only clearly rooted in this idea of completion and recovery; overcoming and rebirth.
Still Naked is everything its title and artwork attempt to imply, only there’s a depth, darkness, and devotion woven into the track list, which means that with every revisit, you’re likely to notice some new moment, statement, story, scene, or performative artistry, letting the album present as, in many ways, a gift that keeps on giving. The Sybilanta creative corner is storming into view from all angles, and with work ethic, passion and precision all united, this is confidently one to watch this year.
Album out now. Find Sybilanta on Instagram, X & the Website. Download or stream Still Naked. Read our Interview with Sybilanta.
