Doing something original in heavy metal (in any genre!) is growing increasingly tougher to do because everything has already been done before. In fact, everything has been redone before, and if you’re into music because you want to find innovation you’ve never experienced, I can imagine your record collection is quite small and sad. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to try unconventional means.
The Silver contains a group of artists who have created some of the more impactful music in heavy metal over the past decade, but here, they deliver sounds you will and won’t expect from them in a way that’s never not enthralling. Their debut offering is “Ward of Roses,” and it provides eight tracks that mix a bevy of different sounds in a manner I don’t really think I’ve heard before. No, they’re not inventing new subgenres, but they’re taking sounds that have inspired them—vocalist Matt Duchemin, guitarist Matt Knox, bassist Jamie Knox (both of death maulers Horrendous), drummer Enrique Sagarnaga (from doom rollers Crypt Sermon)—and putting them into different formulas. It’s heavy, gloomy, mournful, vulnerable, and exciting, a mix that feels like they’re on to creating something that is unique to them and very much something that makes every drop of your blood sizzle with excitement.
“…First Utterance” is a fluid, fog-creating instrumental opener that sets the stage and moves toward “Fallow” where the guitars rise, and the track splits at the middle. The vocals surge and punish while the playing takes hold and tries to move the earth, while clean singing mixes in, adding gothic warmth. The track takes an autumnal turn as moody guitars lather, and savagery blasts out at the finish. “Breathe” lets guitars drip as thick bass comes to life, and anguished cries from Duchemin wail, “I couldn’t bear to call you name.” Anguished shrieks take hold as the guitars surge, the drumming welts, and the track comes to a huge, rushing end. “Vapor” runs 9:37, the longest cut here, and the drums fade over the line with the vocals joining and glazing. Doomy hell unloads as the shrieks penetrate, and your guts are wrenched as you’re tossed back and forth. A strange vibe lands later as cleaner singing tries to soothe, and then the intensity melts steel, returning to crushing psyches as the tempo dizzies and ends in dust.
“Gatekeeper” is propulsive and surging as the shrieks peel paint from the walls, and the leads heat up and add significant pressure. Terrifying cries scramble brains, the playing pummels, and the final gust leaves facial abrasions. “Behold, Five Judges” tumbles in with drums pounding and the playing coming unglued, bringing melody and devastation. The guitar work scorches hard, and the speed increases, making things more combustible as icy speaking works its way down your spine. “Oh-oh-oh” calls reverberate, the tone is mournful, and the track ends in a pit of its own ash. The title track brings agitated guitars, detached speaking, and dreamy sequences that help ice your wounds. Hearty singing sinks into the chorus while the playing rumbles in your chest, and falsetto calls leave your hair standing on end. “Then Silence…” is the final cut, starting with jabbing guitars and then shrieks that make your spine feel crunched. “Body and soul yearns to walk with yours,” is called as the fog gets thicker, and a long numbing stretch puts you into a dream state. The playing then punches back, the bass gets more muscular, and a mix of chaos and gloom unite and burn off like jet fuel.
The Silver have come up with one of the more interesting debut records of the year with “Ward of Roses,” an album that’s not very easy to classify and is better experienced than read about. The band combines so many different elements on this collection, but they do so seamlessly and never in a way that sloppily pastes things together or forces vibes. This is a fascinating record, one that feels like it changes in attitude, mission, and tone every time I hear it, which makes for a stimulating experience.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/TheSilverOfficial
To buy the album, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/collections/pre-orders
For more on the label, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/
Meat Mead Metal 