Sometimes there is an inexplicable reason why you pick up a band for review and that is what happened with Silver End. Something about their artwork, name and description caught my eye and just resonated with me. Then once I played the first track from their second album Spreading Fire, I knew I wanted to make some noise about them.
The album opens with an intro that sets the mood and builds excitement about the sheer grandeur of this band and the sound they can create. The intro snaps shut and leaves you hankering for the first full song. Without disappointment, opening track “Winning The Raffle” unleashes with the confidence you would hear from Megadeth or Metallica. Pretty impressive for a sophomore album from a little-known Norwegian quad. But something tells me they won’t stay little-known for long…
In of likeness to other bands I would probably line them up alongside Breaking Benjamin, Trivium or Avenged Sevenfold but they are really pretty hard to define which is testimony to their unique sound.
The band Christian Renato Lerø (lead vocals, guitar), Stian Alsaker (lead guitar/backing vocals), Lasse Ove Steine (bass) and Iben Hanøy (drums) cite various influences from Linkin Park and Nickelback to Metallica and Maiden. But the one thing they share is the ion for quality musicianship and song writing. With Christian all about the lyrics and Stian all about the melody, they form a solid plinth from where they build their songs.
There is a polished quality to the sound but it’s not over-produced. There are moments of playing with electronic vocal samples in “Rising From The Ashes” and a little taste of pop punk in “Chills”. The album has more than enough variety to keep your interest up throughout.
The biggest highlight for me is “Hope”, I just love the vocals on this. It’s such an uplifting and anthemic song. One for the playlist and has already gone on repeat for me several times. Starting out slower and sultry, the song builds and reminds me a little of something you may have wanted to hear on Metallica’s black album, except this is better.
Before you can catch your breath, the following song “The Gate” unfolds. This is another significant peak on the album and has been my earworm for a few days now. It’s lyrically deep and inventive and is another example of how I love listening to people who have mastered the English language in song writing when it’s not their mother tongue. Truly impressive.
Something I really love about listening to Silver End is the clean vocals and positive nature of the lyrics; each song heralding powerful messages of hope. It gives way for the music to be heavier without feeling ground down because lyrically you’re being lifted up. It’s a counteraction that I personally enjoy about lyrically strong rock music.
Slower paced, “The Valley” would not be out of place in the mainstream, it’s epic and inspiring and is the type of song that you might have heard My Chemical Romance come up with in one of their more whimsical moments. It’s a real ‘lifting up your lighter’ (or phone torch) at a gig moment, without being at all sickly, and would play out fantastically live.
The album is brought to a close with the cheeky number “Pirates”. The guys in Silver End must have caught wind of the successes of Alestorm and other pirate metal shenanigans. This is a little heads up to the movement and will put a smile on anyone’s face. It stands alone as a great track too because it’s not gimmicky.
There’s really something for everyone on this long player. From modern rock to pop punk, pirate metal to nu metal – though the album retains complete cohesion and a defined style. I’d like to see these guys go a really long way and they are definitely ones to try and catch live in your area so keep a look out for dates. I’m going to click play on this again, and again, and again…
Spreading Fire is out on 15th September
Silver End: official | facebook | twitter | spotify | youtube | soundcloud
