96 Bitter Beings – Synergy Restored
Release Date: 4th November 2022
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Pre-Order/Stream
Genre: Hard Rock, Metal, Stoner Rock.
FFO: CKY, Clutch, Royal Blood, Chevelle.
Review By: Anthony Petitt
96 Bitter Beings are back with a second album! Led by former CKY singer Deron Miller, the band’s sophomore effort is titled Synergy Restored, and it retains the spirit that first made CKY so beloved in the late 90’s.
Vaudeville’s Revenge begins the album with a reversed piano solo, before giving way to the kind of groovy baritone guitar riffs that were emblematic of CKY. The mixing is crisp and clear but not over-polished, and Miller’s vocals and harmonies work well. Song two Wish Me Dead is very heart-on-the-sleeve and endearing, though it’s no ballad: it’s a rock song through and through. Fire Skyline is a burner (no pun intended), with killer drum fills and guitar riffs that fit right into the upper-mid tempo song.
Throw Yourself Inside is a Groove Metal fan’s dream. The swaying rhythm of the chorus is infectious. The darkness seen on parts of the record is balanced out by moments of lightness, such as on Bedtime Story, with its almost Power-Pop feel and animated synth embellishments. Much of the second half of Synergy Restored leans in this direction sound-wise. Despite the variations in sound, the whole record still sounds distinctly 96 Bitter Beings. For better or for worse, the guitar tone is nearly identical on every song.
Thrashy elements like fast palm-muted guitar find their way onto Adios Amigo, before switching up in the chorus to the driving dance beat that the band uses quite liberally on this record. It’s a shame that the back half of the record has a tendency to all sound a bit samey compared to the first half, in which all of the songs had their own very distinct vibes. Despite this, it’s clear from Synergy Restored that Deron Miller still has a lot to say musically. 
(4 / 5)
