Silent Voices - Infernal


Year of Release: 2004
Label: Crash Music Inc
Catalog Number: CMU 61123
Format: CD
Total Time: 43:25:00

This is one of the "finds" of the last year! Silent Voices aren?t new - they already have a somewhat mediocre album released in 2002. But it's like a different band recorded the remarkably good Infernal.

The music on Silent Voices? new record is a refined, intelligent and melodic cross-hatching of the progressive-metal of Dream Theater and the power-metal of their famous Finnish compatriots, Stratovarius. It isn?t as technical as some of today's overwrought prog-metal, it isn't as theatrical as say a Symphony X, and it isn?t as simple or anthemic as most power metal. Instead it strikes a careful balance among those sounds, which is carried off with panache and credibility.

I have friends who were blown away by the first two tracks, "End Of Days" and "On The Wings Of Rage," and they waxed lyrical about it in their respective reviews. But as a proggie, I felt the standout track is the 10-minute 3-part closer "Avalon," which balances the complexities and the constant shifts of prog with the hard-edge of metal.

The rhythm section is prominent on this CD, and I particularly enjoyed the unusual, heavy rhythmic-riff on parts of "Infernal Mind." The keyboards are elegantly handled throughout and the piano work introducing and recurring through "Fate Divided" is particularly pleasing. Michael Henneken's vocals are pure metal - but are delivered in a relaxed mid-to-high range. He doesn?t have the range or the power of countryman Kotipelto, but his delivery seems so easy, almost restrained, that Michael just may be the more versatile singer. But as good as all that is - it is guitarist Timo Kauppinen who impresses the most. Put his solid riffing and excellent solos together with the imaginative songwriting and compositions and Infernal deserves a regular spot in any intelligent metal fan's CD rotation.


Tracklisting:
End Of Days (5:14) / On The Wings Of Rage (5:04) / Infernal Mind (4:15) / Fate Divided (8:57) / New World Order (3:59) / Disease: Man (3:50) / Prelude - The Spirit Of Avalon (1:30) / Avalon (10:31) - I The Journey, Ii Resuming Control, Iii The New Beginning

Musicians:
Timo Kauppinen - guitar
Michael Henneken - vocals
Henrik Klinberg - keyboards
Pasi Kauppinen - bass
JP Koivisto - drums

Discography:
Memory And The Frame (ep) (1999)
Chapters Of Tragedy (2002)
Infernal (2004)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin FI

Added: February 19th 2005
Reviewer: Duncan N Glenday
Score:
Artist website: www.silentvoices.cjb.net
Hits: 2171
Language: english

  

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