Sylvan - Posthumous Silence
	Released: 2006 Label: ProgRock Records Cat. No.: Total Time: 69:59
	Reviewed by: Richard Zywotkiewicz, May 2006 Like so many others, I've been following the development of Germany's Sylvan over the course of their 5 studio albums. While early albums showed so much promise, nothing seemed to coalesce … until Posthumous Silence. The classic NeoProg ideas the band has been refining over the years has finally paid off. What makes this album far above previous work and other Neo-Prog fare is the consistency of the song-writing. At 70 minutes, this album provides a lot of good music. Only a few tracks are weak, yet there are long passages of intense, soaring power to be found here. Generally, the fifteen songs blend together so well one cannot pick where one song ends and others begin. This may hint that the music is similar throughout - and this is true to some degree, but what is also true is the impassioned melodies that transport the listener to near ecstasy. If there is some thing as "Emo-Prog" then this is it. Most thanks to vocalist Marco Glümann, who's melodic pipes keeps everything above the music. The singing is supported by multilayered sound designs, catchy melodies, dense atmospheres, and complex thematic motifs. The guitar riffs are mixed to blend with the melodies, which include spherical and psychedelic parts. The one thing about Sylvan's style is the modern approach; there is nothing old school about their sound. They continue this way here, but make up for the coldness of instrumentation by carving out lush, highly melodic textures. They also introduce enough variance in the music to keep it interesting. Listening to this record loud also brings out the subtleties in the mix. Production wise, you can't get anything better than this. If you like the cleanness of Neo-progressive rock, this is an album you should check out. Sylvan has put a lot of work into Posthumous Silence, and it shows. More about Posthumous Silence: Track Listing: Eternity Ends (2:03) / (I) Bequest Of Tears (3:19) / In Chains (8:38) / (II) Bitter Symphony (1:20) / Pane Of Truth (9:06) / (III) No Earthly Reason (1:57) / Forgotten Virtue (6:43) / The Colors Changed (5:58) / (IV) A Sad Sympathy (1:42) / Questions (6:59) / Answer To Life (5:56) / (V) Message From The Past (3:00) / The Last Embrace (3:27) / A Kind Of Eden (4:55) / Posthumous Silence (4:59) Musicians: Marco Glühmann - vocals Matthias Harder - drums, loop programming, sound effects Sebastian Harnack - bass Kay Söhl - guitar Volker Söhl - keyboards Contact: Website: www.sylvan.de Note: will open new browser window Discography Chamäleon (as Chamäleon) (1992, tape) Slaves (as Chamäleon) (1994, tape) Demo '95 (as Chamäleon) (1995, tape) Signs Of Life (track on a sampler) (2000) Deliverance (1999) Encounters (2000) Artificial Paradise (2002) X-Rayed (2004) Posthumous Silence (2006)
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