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IN THE SILENCE
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Just as you should never judge a book by its cover, you should also never judge a CD on first listen. My initial experience of 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad', the debut album by stateside progsters In The Silence was not a positive one. Despite recognising the skilled musicianship at work, I failed to click with their music on an emotional level in any small way. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for their melancholically-based aesthetic or perhaps it's the simple case that this is a grower and requires a few listens to appreciate its essence. Either way, by the third listen, I suddenly found myself connecting with their varied prog soundscapes which are characterised by fairly sublime sonics throughout. There are discernible Katatonia, Anathema and Riverside influences at work here which materialise more in the way this Sacramento quartet not only blend the heavy and the mellow with a prominent melancholic twang but also in the way they manage to paint a musically rich canvas with minimal elements (their use of two guitars is particularly reminiscent of Katatonia in places). The album's not without its flaws, though. Some of the guitar solos, while generally well performed (apart from one or two sloppily executed bends that don't quite hit the right notes) stray too far into technical/widdly territory rather than reflecting and enhancing the songs' inherent emotions. As such, they come across as more perfunctory than poignant. However, that's a minor criticism as they're often fleeting and tracks don't adhere to solo-centric arrangements so aren't reliant on bursts of lead guitar virtuosity. Plus guitarists Josh Burke and Nate Higgins evidently know how to use their instruments in a more minimalist manner to create music awash with affectively captivating atmospheres (the aforementioned Katatonia influence). Coupled with ever interesting rhythmic backbones to each of the tracks courtesy of bassist Dennis Davis and sticksman Niko Panagopoulos, as well as Burke's profoundly emotive vocals, In The Silence have succeeded in creating a solid debut album that impresses greatly.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Sensory
Album
A FAIR DREAM GONE MAD
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Review by Mark Holmes
RUNNING TIME:
46:51
RELEASE DATE:
21st June 2013
TRACK LISTING
1) Ever Closer
2) Seventeen Shades
3) Serenity
4) Beneath These Falling Leaves
5) Close to Me
6) Endless Sea
7) All the Pieces
8) Your Reward
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
USA
"...they manage to paint a musically rich canvas with minimal elements..."
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