With turmoil going on behind the scenes and the absence of a core component of their established sound, Sonic Syndicate throws everything they can at the wall and hopes something sticks. While there are glimmers of excellence—like the earworm “Black and Blue” and the energizing “Revolution, Baby”—We Rule the Night ultimately leaves much to be desired. More often than not, it comes across as uninspired and forced, especially on tracks like “Break of Day,” which should’ve worked but doesn’t, and “Miles Apart,” which feels both awful and completely out of place.
The introduction of a new vocalist can be jarring, and while UK singer Nathan J. Biggs (formerly of The Hollow Earth Theory) is more than capable of filling the shoes of the departing Roland Johansson, this album proves time and again that talent alone isn’t always enough. The band certainly had it in spades—but failed to capitalize on it.
Most of what made Sonic Syndicate a fun listen in the first place is still here: the dual vocal dynamic, the metalcore riffs, the big choruses, the overly dramatic ballads, the glossy production, the cheesy lyrics, the chugs, and the breakdowns—accessible metalcore with catchy hooks mixed with elements of melodic death metal and even louder synths.
But what used to work like clockwork on albums like Only Inhuman and Love and Other Disasters now grinds against itself, resulting in tracks like the aforementioned “Break of Day,” which on paper has all the right ingredients to be their next big hit but ends up feeling half-baked, like something that needed more time in the broiler.
To the band’s credit, they did try to change things up. “Revolution, Baby” wears its nu-metal influences on its sleeve, and for a moment, the album soars along with it—only for the god-awful disco-core “Turn It Up” to drag it back down. That track, in particular, feels like the point of no return and effectively marks the beginning of the end for the band.
