One day I’ll attend Roadburn. Maybe. I hope. Look, my anxiety is shit a lot of times, and taking a plane ride isn’t really something I’m inclined to do, but until there’s another means of transport, that’s the only viable option. It’s a dream because of the incredible acts the festival always puts on, but it also spawns creative ventures and ideas that make the metal and heavy music world even richer.
Case in point, internationally placed black metal force Silver Knife are set to make their live debut at this year’s Roadburn, and as a gift to all, we get a new two-track EP “Ring” for our perusal. The two songs were recorded during the “Unyielding/Unseeing” sessions, created to be packaged together, and this little adventure is great for anyone who’s been into the band since their 2020 debut or those new to the proceedings. At 13:41, it seems a little small in scope, but taking on the music reveals a different story. It’s powerful, involved, and a hell of an adventurous listen that this band—the quarter identifies as N., H., D., and P.—commits to and creates to send you on an adventure that no airplane or any kind of engine can accomplish and never will.
“Ecomimesis” starts with a massive howl and the playing washing over you, covering you up to your throat. Wild howls wrench, the pace captivates, and the drums rumble hard as the playing soars into the atmosphere. The emotion fills your chest, punishing while it reaches the stratosphere, waves lap the shore, and the energy crash lands, burying itself deep into the ground. “Recalcitrant” closes this quick EP with a spirited gust, flowing darkly and violently into your bloodstream, the riffs pulling out your guts. Desperate howls cascade as the guitars flow, and things even turn pleasingly gothy for a stretch, melting melody into the murk. The band finds another gear as the track explodes, a fantastical feel takes over your body, and the waters rush with aggression, firing and fading into oblivion.
Silver Knife may have offered up a mere appetizer with “Ring,” but it’s full of flavor and keeps you satisfied until their next main course is ready. OK, that wording sounds lame, sure, but it’s also really accurate as these two tracks perfectly maintain Silver Knife’s aura and gives us something to bridge the gap between full-length records. This is more than worth your time, it demands very little of your energy, and it’s a killer EP that is ripe for repeat visits.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/silverknifeband
To buy the album, go here: https://www.facebook.com/silverknifeband
Or here: https://music.extraconscious.com/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/amorfatiprod
Meat Mead Metal 