Born Too Soon
In a world where boundaries between genres are now blurred and bent, I’m revisiting something I experimented with more than 30 years ago - a sound that at the time was too far ahead, too different, too… wrong - according to the gatekeepers of the late 80s rock scene.
I’m talking about synth fusion metal - a hybrid of traditional Inuit drum rhythms, bone-shaking synthetic bass, and gritty, drop-tuned guitars, all fused with melodic synth leads and eerie talk-sung vocals. Four tracks from this vision now live again on my EP Cryptic Desolation - Konspirazy, Backstage Secret, Crash, and Abysmara.
The Waiting Game
Back in the late 80s, I had already crafted this style. Inspired by the raw power of Inuit drum dances, I began converting those primal patterns into modern drum kits, layering synthetic sounds and distorted guitars over them. I used synth bass - yes, synth - at a time when that was practically outlawed in metal circles.
People around me thought I’d lost it. I was told, more than once, “this isn’t possible” - as if music needed permission to evolve. Meanwhile, the industry was still hiding keyboard players behind curtains (true story - I was once told to perform behind one while standing in for a band supporting a legendary act). It was absurd, but that was the state of hysteria at the time. Synths were feared.
Even though bands like Deep Purple had organ gods like Jon Lord proudly blasting B-3 solos from center stage, the moment you brought in synthetic textures, the reaction was cold. Or confused. Or outright hostile. I introduced the sound to a few people back then - most just said: wtf?
Why Only Four Tracks?
Cryptic Desolation contains only four of these tracks because that’s all I felt I needed to document this unique style. No reason to overdo it - the point was to capture the concept. The style is its own thing. Powerful, strange, ahead of its time. Or maybe right on time now.
Tracks like Konspirazy and Crash showcase the full fusion - heavy drums with synthetic depth, layered synth melodies cutting through talk-sung vocals, drop-tuned riffs holding everything down. It’s both raw and futuristic. Backstage Secret plays with the tension between hidden truths and sonic exposure, while Abysmara dives deeper into the darker atmospheres, almost cinematic.
This isn’t just nostalgia. It’s a reminder that some ideas aren’t wrong - just early.
And now, the world might finally be catching up.
All 4 + a bonus track from the EP Cryptic Desolation are available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.