Silent Edge - The Eyes Of The Shadow

Year of Release: 2003
Label: DVS Records
Catalog Number: DVS009
Format: CD
Total Time: 63:57:00

DVS Records dropped this disc in my lap knowing full well that I'd take to it instantly. They were absolutely right, and they have a monster of band added to their ever-growing label of progressive metal bands. Silent Edge has released a killer disc of melodic progressive metal, and this disc is just what the progressive world needs to kick start itself again in dry times. They incorporate a sound that reminds me a lot of bands like Stonehenge, Nemesis and others of this genre, mixed in with some of the quirkier elements of Lanfear's Zero Poems at times. Silent Edge adds in a ton of warm melodies, speed, and some ballads to separate them from the rest of the pack. Each song has its own identity, although the songs can be lumped into several categories such as ballads, instrumentals, neo-classical, etc. The band is certainly not stereo-typical, and goes to great lengths to show just how diverse they can be.

Band members Willem Verwoert (vocals), Emo Suripatty (guitars, bass), Minggus Gaspersz (keyboards) and Marco Kleinnibbelink (drums) plough their way through tons of progressive metal, injected with some neo-classical elements, some quirkiness, some ballads, and they add a ton of drama to their songs. It is this dramatic element that really makes this band stand out. They take their songs and inject a certain amount of warm emotion (compliments of the vocals), and lots of drama into their music giving it an epic glow most of the time (thanks to the glorious keyboards). A few songs are slowed down to slow, plodding mid-paced tempos in which the vocals take over the lead; other songs are sped up to a furious pace giving way to the guitar and drums to take the lead; the remaining songs are soft ballads lead by acoustic guitars and pianos. This band is truly bent on being as diverse as possible and just when you think they have settled into some sort of groove, they throw a curve ball at you and take you into another direction. Examples of this would be the 9:00 song ?Under A Shaded Moon? which starts off speedy, and then turns into a mid-paced tempo before returning to the original beat. ?For Ancient Times? starts off with a poppier style, and then turns into a slow, epic, Mid-Eastern flavoured song before returning to the original tempo.

Vocalist Willem Verwoert leads the band through all of the different styles and emotions, and his voice stands out front like a Viking on a ship going into battle. He conveys the various emotions of the songs with ease, and uses variations along the way. He shines on ballads ?The Curse I Hold Within? and ?Rebellion? and then becomes aggressive at other times before toning it down for some of the slower tunes. He sings with emotion, and it's easy to hear that he truly believes what he is singing. His tone and style remind me of a cross between Josh Pincus (Ice Age) and maybe Stefan Zell (Wolverine).

The production is well done. The separation between instruments is outstanding, and the vocal production is brilliant as well. Each instrument can be heard easily throughout the songs, even when the heavier orchestration takes place. My only complaint with the production is the drum tone, which I find to be a little tame compared to the fury of the music and other instruments. It may be intentional, but the kick drum is a little on the lighter side and provides mild punch compared to what the music is all about. It is difficult to distinguish between the kick drum and other drums because of this. It is a mild complaint for such a wonderful product, but it will stand out to the musical ear easily. Whether or not this plays a factor is up to the individual listener.

Overall, this is one the better releases of 2003 so far. Silent Edge has come with a winner here, providing some of the best melodic prog metal I've heard in some time. If you like your prog metal injected with a ton of emotion and like it on the dramatic side, look no further than this disc. The Eyes Of The Shadow is all you will need to satisfy your progressive metal appetite for quite some time.

Tracklisting:
Through Different Eyes (6:02) / Savage Symphony (5:32) / Wasted Lands (8:50) / The Curse I Hold Within (5:24) / Crusades (2:28) / For Ancient Times (8:40) / Lost Conscience (6:40) / Under A Shaded Moon (5:48) / Rebellion (8:59) / Rebellion (The Awakening) (5:30)

Musicians:
Willem Verwoert - lead vocals
Emo Suripatty - guitars and bass guitar
Minggus Gaspersz - keyboards
Marco Kleinnibbelink - drums

Discography:
Under A Shaded Moon (demo) (2000)
The Eyes Of The Shadow (2003)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin NL

Added: July 13th 2003
Reviewer: Larry "LarryD" Daglieri

Artist website: www.silentedge.com
Hits: 1861
Language: english