Sweden must be the leading country now a days when it comes to grindcore releases, damn there are being spewed many albums out right now. Sayyadina is a new acquaintance for me, but when a band consists of members from Nasum, Birdflesh, Jigsore Terror and General Surgery, one has to be a wee excited.

Though the feeling I have after listening to the 18 tracks of grinding madness that possesses this piece of plastic, is rather empty and confused. The music is a great deal of old school sounding grindcore. Very harsh and direct, a raw Shane Embury sounding bass, raw Terrorizer influenced riffing. Some funny melodic arrangements and biting vocals.

The band lacks their own identity and something they can call their own thing, when it comes to the song writing. Though the small bits and pieces which make Sayyadina sound like other bands, is most likely on purpose, due to the placements and use of the elements.

It takes a while to get into the album, it is not as easy accessible as other albums in the genre. Some of the tracks are somewhat complex and messy, and shows that the band has a flair for technical arrangements and playing.

One of the highlights is the great and frantic drumming, it kicks ass. The main vocal is a great and haunting scream, but some of the back up screams sounds too shitty and annoying, but that has its charm too. And some of the technical and noisy guitar playing is great too.

It is not the most memorable album I’ve heard this year and it will most likely not become a classic. Though there is something charming over the way Sayyadina approaches the music. And even though the music is accepted and a bit better than standard grindcore, I do still have this empty feeling when I’m done listening to “Fear Gave Us Wings”. But still I can’t find anything major lacking on the album, so my advice must be: “Go to the record shop and give the album a spin yourself, it is good grindcore, with some exciting elements, and maybe it will give you the right kick”.

[This review was first published on the now defunct scandinavianmetal.info webzine]