Tool crop up on the promo sheet as well as in most critiques the band have received so far, and it’s not an unfair starting point – the patterns of Joris’s clean vocals, coupled with the insistent, artsy guitar work have an experimental, post-grunge edge that does evoke the spirit of Maynard Keenan and all those who came after. However, there’s more at play here, including a gorgeous doom-oriented riff in the intro to "Serious Adverse Event", and some melodeath-inspired moments on "Regression of Faith" and "Four 2 One". The Sin Committee, for all their accessibility and rock sensibilities, slide into more extreme sections with an ease that suggests both familiarity with and a predilection for heavier genres.
The strongest aspect of The Sin Committee is the excellent musicianship of their guitarist, Raymon, and the mature song-writing his playing embodies. The racing, organic-sounding lines of "Four 2 One" and "Serious Adverse Event" have an exploratory, almost improvisational feel, in that it is always hard to pre-empt the next directional twist. This richness draws the listener in, and entraps even those for whom this musical style would not always be a first choice. Joris’s performance is very important to The Sin Committee’s success as well; his clean vocals allow for intelligible lyrics that snag the imagination, but it’s when he drops into an earthy grunt that I feel the full potential of this band is revealed.
With their mixture of styles and accessible, modern edge, TSC run the risk of alienating extreme metal fans, but in fact the quality and interest of their song-writing overcomes this. If you’ve a taste for the melodic and intelligent, and appreciate independently-minded, well-performed guitar work, then there’s plenty here to enjoy, with many a surprise along the way. This is precisely how progressive metal/rock should leave you feeling.
79/100
Ellen Simpson