It has not proved too hard for us at The RR to be hooked on the creative animus of Finnish industrialists Project Silence these past years ever since the release of their debut album 424 in 2012. Even as their electro-metal based sound has evolved and embraced a host of extreme and raw metal textures across subsequent encounters, each encounter has accentuated our fascination come addiction with their music. It is fair to say that the blackened death hued adventure of the band’s last album, Slave To The Machine, did not quite hit the personal spot but still had more than a few moments of irresistible and striking adventure. Now two years on, the Kuopio quintet has returned with a seven track scourge in the shape of Infinity; a release which quite simply is their finest moment.
Infinity sees the Kuopio hailing quintet of Delacroix (vocals, programming, keyboards), S (guitar), J (guitar), Silve R (drums), and Sturmpanzerjäger (bass) in many ways returning to the industrial breeding of their roots whilst still exploring the variation of flavours involved in the creative weave of its predecessor. From its first breath there is a sense of fresh maturity and boldness to the sound, the initial trespass of opener We Will Rise a contagion loaded tide of muscular riffs. It is a fierce yet infectious nagging with a touch of Fear Factory to it which ebbs and flows as the guttural growl of Delacroix entices. As heavy as it is portentously dark, an insurgent sound tempered by the melodic tease of keys, the sonic incitement just stirred ears and imagination; a result only escalated across its successors.
The equally outstanding From Beyond follows, its initial lure new wave-esque amidst swift gothic hued intimation before its black hearted dance emerges. Even then it is a prowling venture of threat and magnetic suggestion; technical death metal dexterity merging with industrial rapacity to increasingly fascinate as its electro instincts escape sonic darklands before the tantalising drama and ungodly seduction of No More envelops and devours the senses. Soaked in malevolence, the track subsequently swings from its sinful crawl into a just as nefarious canter, Crowley-esque hues lining the increasingly transfixing and ravenous encounter.
Forgotten shares its own diabolical instincts and adventure next, its gait and character as volatile as it is sonically and melodically imaginative; again a weave of flavours mingled and worked with compelling enterprise while Pulse swings and stomps straight after with tenacious endeavour and a mercurial breath seeming not sure whether it wants to dance with or ravish its victim; for the main simultaneously doing both.
The final pair of Anthropophagite and Day Of Reckoning brings Infinity to a mighty close; the first is just superb as it feasts on the flesh and senses of the listener whilst nagging increasing attention and lust with its repetitious riffs and grooves. As keys spread their melodic toxins and vocals their taunting malevolence, the track simply escalates its lures before leaving its successor to infest body and spirit with its Rammstein spiced death soaked craft and immorality. As all tracks, it offers an invasive but captivating web of styles and flavours within its industrial metal nurtured adventure leaving the listener bouncing in deed and thought.
In many ways Project Silence has taken the strongest and most adventurous ingredients from their previous releases to breed the rousing exploits of Infinity but there are just as plenty fresh and new elements which keep the band as one of the most exciting proposals within industrial and indeed extreme metal.
Infinity is out now via Sliptrick Records across most stores and available @ https://projectsilence.bandcamp.com/album/infinity
http://www.projectsilence.info/ https://www.facebook.com/projectsilenceband/ https://sliptrickrecords.com/project-silence/
Pete RingMaster 06/10/2018
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
The opening instrumental welcome of the excellent Auf Bifrösts Rücken rises up with drama and suggestion, its orchestral walls cinematic in their intimation as rhythms build solid foundations to the epic feel of the surroundings. Yet there is a melodic intimacy which equally tempts the imagination before the album’s title track with the same kind of majesty emerges. Swiftly dark tides and imposing rumblings surge as the track erupts into a rousing incitement of threat and seduction. Wieland’s vocals, raw and melodic, alone spark keen attention, their lure matched by the tidal currents and drama of the sounds. Singing in his home language the tale of the song and its companions evaded recognition but there was no escaping the Nordic and dramatic clues to the mercurial and ever darkening escapade.
Emerging from sonic mists with a throaty resonance, immediately there is an alluring invitation from Orion Fenix but one with a portentous edge to its smouldering beauty. Graceful yet with a threat in its tone, the track rises until its tempestuousness sparks a heavy doomy gait. Its corrosive suggestiveness though is instantly tempered by the harmonic tones of Kolf, his voice similarly pure enticement and menace laced melancholy.
Album opener L’Harmonie et la Force instantly spreads an atmospheric breath around ears, intrigue and shadows blending within its intimation as melodies begin to vein the lure. All the time a rhythmic pulse is brewing, looming closer with portentous hues and eventually driving the heart of the sonic incursion. Vocals scowl and holler as beats throb, melodic enterprise as toxic yet magnetic as the black raw intensity of the track. Within seconds the body was bouncing, ears devouring, and enjoyment brewing, the track increasingly offering the kind of predacious enterprise which marked out the last album but with greater craft and maturity not forgetting fresh character.
For personal tastes, the release never quite hits that stunning peak again yet savages the sweet spot time and time again starting with Sinking Into Existence. From its first breath, the track is a torrent of sonic violation and vocal torment within black metal smog but again the guitars weave some beguiling melodic toxins and lures to entwine eager ears. There is a predatory side to the track too, a calmer but no less threatening trespass which lifts the song to new captivation and richer emotive depths before Scourge envelops the senses with its own considered but rabid grudge. Again Calligram merge raw essences and viciousness with melodic enterprise and beauty, everything tainted in varying degrees but equally fascinating as it heads towards a passage of murderous rock ‘n’ roll and haunting sonic corrosion, and out again; Rizzardo magnetically guiding the creative pestilence.
Was there any specific idea behind the forming of the band and also in what you wanted it and your sound to offer and do they still continue to steer the ship?
The excellent trespass features guest Will Ramos from A Wake in Providence, its successor Seven Faces sees For the Fallen Dreams vocalist Chad Ruhlig guesting. The track instantly submerges the listener in an invasive cloud of predatory noise, from the midst of which winding grooves and rampant rhythms driven by the vicious swings of Victor Figueroa break. His beats are pure venom in every touch, the bass of Alex Niszczak a predacious companion whilst the guitars of Randy Mac and Joe Fedele cast a sonic tempest built on technical and instinctive dexterity which is pure toxicity. The threat loaded throat of vocalist Chaz Macklin centres it all with an almost carnal prowess, his intensive examination just as compelling within next up Savages which has Dan Watson of Enterprise Earth and Sims Cashion additionally on board. On the surface, the song seems less adventurous than its predecessors though its grooves swiftly wind persuasively around ears but time and intent reveals the devious web at its core luring increased attention as a swarming of sonic temptation offers delicious bait.
New Haven’s SEA OF BONES and New Hampshire’s RAMLORD come together for one of the incursions upon ears, each offering one epic trespass of their uncompromising sound and intent. Sea of Bones strike first with HOPELESSNESS AND DECAY, the trio of bassist/vocalist Gary Amedy, guitarist/vocalist Tom Mucherino, and drummer/vocalist Kevin Wigginton unleashing a cavernous soundscape soaked in predacious intensity from the off. For over ten minutes the trio breed a wall of confrontation as expansive and decayed as it is at times melancholically seductive. The track ambles, at times lumbers, across the senses, spreading its filth clad body and air with sludge fuelled hostility and moments of corrosive ambience leaving ears and emotions numb.
respect of the listener’s peace and sanity, the first half of the split is consumed by Black Tar Prophet’s sludge/doom powered incursions into the senses and imagination. Starting with the compelling persistence of MALIGNANT, a track living up to its name, the duo of bassist Greg Swinehart and drummer Erik Dever snarl in their distinct way across a further three incitements. As dark as they are heavy, as primal as they are strangely comforting and understanding to the darkest corners of one’s thoughts, Black Tar Prophet probe and transfix with RUINOUS DECAY and the deeply disturbed ABUSE especially momentous.
The last of the Broken Limbs offerings is GUILT AND HIS REFLECTION, thirteen tracks bringing Texans CARA NEIR and WILDSPEAKER together in a split which sees its concept realised through both bands revolving around cannibalism in a post-apocalyptic scenario. The first seven songs escape the creative potency of Arlington, Texas crust duo vocalist Chris Francis and multi-instrumentalist Garry Brents. Starting with the sonically and vocally raw but melodically seductive HALO OF GREY, Cara Neir proceed to explore not only the psychological depths and impact bred in an apocalyptic environment but those of the listener too as tracks like CLINGING TO MY LAST BIT OF SANITY and THE VIEW THROUGH THIS FOG seem to flirt with ears and imagination as fully as they wonderfully antagonise them with their blend of black metal and post rock infested punk. Each of the band’s songs leave a potent impact with the outstanding almost poppy EGO EATS MAN stealing the pair’s half of the show.