Within Silence - Return From The Shadows
Slovokian Metal For Life
Within Silence is surely one of the brightest hopes for metal in Slovakia. Their debut release in 2015 was a very solid collection of melodic power metal anthems. Fortunately, they return in 2017 with 9 more songs of Iron Maiden-infused metal that have a much more credible quality. It is obvious that they have honed their skills in the interim, definitely improved, most noticeably in the song-writing area. While they really haven’t changed their style (melodic power metal with plenty of nods to classic 80’s metal) these songs just sound better – have more of that satisfying metal head-banging quality. Martin Klein (vocals) now clearly leans more in the Bruce Dickenson direction, this much evident on the epic and ambitious 16 minute “In the Darkness.” He has a commanding voice and holds this lengthy song together in a manner that I thought was somewhat lacking on the debut. There are some great vocal melodies on this epic track, which certainly doesn’t feel as long as its duration. And these guys really lay down riffs with conviction. Richard Germanus and company are more than capable of shred, but there are more of the softer interludes this time around in order to keep it balanced. “The Final Victory” showcases the band’s Euro power metal roots (this is where they really sound like Seventh Avenue) with plenty of pace. Lyrically, these guys make it very clear they are believers/followers of Christ, nowhere more evident than on “The Final Victory” where they proclaim, “We are praising our God for His mercy and light/There’s no one who’ll show you more colors/In the name of the Son united as one/We’re dying for life and salvation.” I commend them for the way they proclaim their beliefs with conviction and sincerity without out all the religious pretense/judgment – very refreshing and very uplifting. The title track may be the best song yet from Within Silence – tell me you don’t hear echoes of Iron Maiden? I always admire a band that takes their gifts/strengths and continues to progress and improve. Within Silence have definitely improved on their sophomore release, and while they do wear their influences a bit too apparently, they are definitely keeping the metal hammer down – this is really solid metal with a hopeful and uplifting message. [Ulterium]
