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░ ██ ██ Artist: Silence Lies Fear ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Shadows of the Wasteland █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-06-30 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Soundage Productions ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Death metal from Azerbaidjan. █
█ █
█ Silence Lies FearÆs second album, Future: The █
█ Return, was an unexpected melodic death metal █
█ treat. It walked in line with many of the ægreatsÆ █
█ of the genre, while maintaining a heavy edge that █
█ some bands have all but forgotten about. █
█ Pleasantly, Shadows of the Wasteland sounds even █
█ heavier, but keeping those gorgeous melodies █
█ completely intact. █
█ Embracing a slightly more technical approach for █
█ Shadows of the Wasteland, it goes hand in hand █
█ with a visceral experience. Most melodic death █
█ metal bands are quick to jump into more █
█ æcatchy/poppyÆ territory, and itÆs refreshing to █
█ see that Silence Lies Fear veer in the opposite █
█ direction to deliver an experience that is █
█ completely locked into the ædeathÆ side of the █
█ equation. Some blazing speeds and thundering █
█ blastbeats are par for the course, giving a █
█ frenetic energy that is enhanced by some rather █
█ strong musicianship and intriguing riff █
█ structures. The opening salvo of ôHypernovaö █
█ wastes no time introducing this, but it also █
█ demonstrates the strength of their synth █
█ augmentation. Ripping melodies and pounding drums █
█ are given a bit more elegance with some tasteful █
█ keys that avoid being too dominant in the mix, yet █
█ really enrich the experience. While we are on the █
█ subject of some of the softer side of the band, a █
█ few tracks use some sparse female vocals (ôShores █
█ of Timeö and ôGravityö for instance) as with their █
█ last album, and they are just as effective in █
█ setting the mood and providing some contrast from █
█ the more brutal moments. █
█ What makes Shadows of the Wasteland such an █
█ addictive release is how everything is brought █
█ together in the end. Stunning melodies and solos █
█ seem to await around each corner, happily sharing █
█ space with more brutal riffs and frantic pacing █
█ and both sides of the equation getting just enough █
█ synth to wrap it all together. A joyously melodic █
█ yet aggressive album that hoists Silence Lies Fear █
█ into a position that anyone with the slightest █
█ interest in death metal should become immediately █
█ aware of. Few can pull this off with the tenacity █
█ and genuine emotion necessary in this field. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Silence Lies Fear make the kind of melodic, █
█ technical death metal thatÆs been all the rage in █
█ the recent few years. Heralded by bands like █
█ Bloodshot Dawn, the style also seeped into other █
█ corners of the metal genre, spawning unique █
█ iterations on the sound. The most famous of which █
█ is (for better or for worse) Fallujahæs The Flesh █
█ Prevails. Shadows of the Wasteland draws from both █
█ of these albums for inspiration, producing the █
█ kind of epic, inherently melodic but still █
█ technically impressive death metal which youÆd █
█ expect from their mix. But in a genre which is █
█ seeing immense proliferation, do Silence Lies Fear █
█ manage to make their own claim, carving out a █
█ space for themselves? █
█ The answer is both yes and no. In order to survive █
█ in such an environment, where the type of music █
█ you produce is being made all around you by other █
█ bands, you need a certain type of skillset. The █
█ exact nature of those skills changes between █
█ sub-genres. In this case, the number one name of █
█ the game is restraint; do you have the discipline █
█ to resist the extravagance of notes that often █
█ infects the sub-genre? Most of the time, the █
█ answer in Silence Lies FearÆs case is yes. Their █
█ main guitar riffs are well executed and fully able █
█ to stay the course and support the structure of █
█ the track. This means that most tracks enjoy a █
█ pleasing coherence and direction, avoiding a █
█ certain scattered feeling that is rampant █
█ throughout technical death metal. Check out █
█ ôAftermathö and its main riff for a good example █
█ and listen to the way in which it supports the █
█ forward motion of the track. █
█ But when it comes to the many solos interspersed █
█ throughout the album, sections on which the █
█ influences of the above cited Bloodshot Dawn and █
█ Per Nilsson, a certain unnecessary multiplicity of █
█ phrases is apparent. To put that more simply, █
█ there are just too many notes; when a phrasing or █
█ a transition can be stated with X number of notes, █
█ Silence Through Fear choose to say it with X+5 █
█ number of notes. This leads the composition to █
█ pause when itÆs time for a solo, creating an often █
█ disjointed feeling with the rest of the track. A █
█ great example can be heard on the third track, █
█ ôShores of Timeö. Close to the trackÆs end, the █
█ solo erupts and goes on for a bit longer than weÆd █
█ like, the trackÆs momentum freezing in place to █
█ accommodate it. There are too many flourishes █
█ being played as well, distracting from the rest of █
█ the instrumentation. █
█ When these proclivities for flamboyancy are kept █
█ in check, Shadows of the Wasteland is pretty damn █
█ endearing. Stand out track ôThe Shadow of Iö for █
█ example, with its tasteful piano opening and hints █
█ of Insomnium on the main riff, is a banger and a █
█ half. The track never stops for a second, the █
█ harsh vocals working beautifully with the poignant █
█ tinge on the guitars. The leads work artfully with █
█ the backing guitars, adding an edge to their █
█ execution. There are scales and blistering █
█ traversal of them aplenty but everything is much █
█ more cohesive, working together as a unit rather █
█ than giving forbearance to the guitars. This █
█ cohesiveness also creates plenty of other great █
█ tracks, like ôThe Oblivionö (which has amazing █
█ synth roles) or closer ôUndying Mindö. When █
█ Silence Lies Fear focus and bring it together, █
█ they can make immensely catchy and pleasing music. █
█ So, does the album have missteps? It certainly █
█ does and they arenÆt minor either; there are █
█ points where the guitar works simply takes over █
█ the composition and halts the virtuous progression █
█ of the tracks. But when these elements are in █
█ remission, held in check by the work of the band █
█ together, Shadows of the Wasteland is a hell of an █
█ album, adding to the growing obsession in metal █
█ with this type of sound. Therefore, itÆs well █
█ worth your time if you can look past some of the █
█ indulgence which the band allow themselves. If █
█ youÆre looking for fast guitars, epic atmosphere █
█ and an overall commitment to death metal and its █
█ ideals, this is a good place to look; just be █
█ prepared for note spaghetti and plenty of it. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Hypernova 4:05 ░
░ 2. Aftermath 4:11 ░
░ 3. Shores of Time 5:11 ░
░ 4. Artificial Engine 3:46 ░
░ 5. The Last Human 4:11 ░
░ 6. Gravity 4:07 ░
░ 7. The Shadow of I 4:31 ░
░ 8. Sun as a Gift 4:07 ░
░ 9. The Oblivion 4:09 ░
░ 10. Undying Mind 4:20 ░
░ 42:38 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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