Just in case some of you wonder about what happened to these techno Deathsters, here are the news: the band is currently shopping for a deal after their dismissal from the Listenable Records roster for (to me at least) obscure reasons. The two first SYMBYOSIS releases ("The Fluid" MCD and the full length "Crisis") showed a lot of promises even if the band tried too much too soon to my opinion, and were disadvantaged by line-up problems. But all of these annoyances are fortunately things of the past judging by the new consistency the band offer with their "Phoenix" demo. This three track affair is a foretaste of a hopefully soon to be released album (I mean if the band manages to get a recording contract) and it is a proof SYMBYOSIS are a band of the greatest magnitude, able to compete with the most renowned Metal acts of today; and if I am adding that SYMBYOSIS make me heavily think of CYNIC with a kind of Swedish edge, you will certainly understand what I mean by magnitude. In fact, SYMBYOSIS stripped down the annoying elements that somewhat tarnish the brilliance of their past releases, thanks to a much more focused approach of the writing process and a now solid and stable line-up. Let me put clear that the five individuals collectively known as SYMBYOSIS are exceptional musicians, and it really shows on "Phoenix". Like in the old days, the two bothers Franck Kobolt (lead and rhythm guitars) and Corrosive Bob (vocals) appear as the creative core of the band by handling the most part of the conceptual and technical work connected to SYMBYOSIS (artwork, lyrics, music, production, web site design and maintenance), but now they have been joined by three other gifted band members, with a special mention to the phenomenal drummer Tarik Karlsson, very convincing to say the very least! "Phoenix" is a brilliant demo, the three tracks on offer here (parts of a larger sci-fi concept due to be developed) are equally captivating without a single boring moment, and I can’t help but dream about what a full length would sound like because the homemade production is already near perfection (except maybe for the dynamic). Total clarity, well constructed song structures, stunning mastering of the instruments and improved low frequency vocal performance make "Phoenix" a striking sonic business card and a an immensely enjoyable release. Add to this a beautiful self made presentation (the CD is encased in a DVD box, with a beautiful artwork to make thing even more attractive), and it is obvious that SYMBYOSIS have a lot to offer if only they could be supported by an ambitious label. So I can only urge any label executive reading this to seriously give a listen to this demo, because we have an absolute winner here! I am not sure if "Phoenix" is for sale or solely made for label scouting purpose, ask them directly at symbyosis@symbyosis.com, and visit their superb web site at www.symbyosis.com A fantastic band!