Artist: Then Comes Silence
Title: Machine
Genre: Rock / Gothic Rock
Release Date: 13th March 2020
Label: Oblivion/SPV
Album Review
Sweden’s THEN COMES SILENCE know a thing or two about the importance of re-invention. The usual ups and downs of changing personnel, changing labels, increased expectation, and a heavy touring schedule soon take their toll if the music starts to suffer, and the whole concept and purpose can begin to stagnate. Importantly, the band have always had one beady eye fixed firmly ahead, while happily glancing backwards at influences and the story-so-far. New album ‘Machine’ sees them stepping off the Gothic-Rock treadmill and running with something much fresher and more dynamic, while retaining enough gloom and foreboding to keep the old-school satisfied. This is good.
‘We Lose The Night’ is an assured opener, dense and driven and perfectly happy not to bother with a chorus. Instead, it’s held together like strands of tough rope, everything essential, adding to the strength of the whole. It’s a great vocal too. ‘Devil’ twists and turns in black concrete boots, snarly and menacing, while ‘Dark End’ is positively poppy in comparison. Plus there’s some fabulous twangy guitar ushering in a darkly magnificent chorus. ‘I Gave You Everything’ throws everything it can at you, stopping, starting, writhing around the deliberately repetitive lyric and then abruptly pissing off somewhere, presumably in a mighty big sulk. ‘Ritual’ has the added charm of female vocals joining the party, a shrewd move as it’s not the strongest song here despite some breezy chiming guitar-work.
And there’s much to be admired in the darker-than-thou ‘Apocalypse Flare’ and the strangely uplifting ‘W.O.O.O.U’, which struts around confidently in WHITE LIES territory. ‘In Your Name’ wobbles somewhat in the company of what’s gone before, but the album surges toward a conclusion on the final three songs. ‘Glass’ is a real stomper, ‘Kill It’ a complete change of pace and atmosphere and ‘Cuts Inside’ bows out with the line “Don’t look back”, a statement of intent if ever there was one. And then it’s done, the residual feeling of a quietly self-satisfied resolve.
This is a fine album, by a band who have tried hard to find the balance between doing what they know they’re good at, and pushing - not forcing - the boundaries to see where they lead. They very much deserve your attention.
Tracklist
01. We Lose The Night
02. Devil
03. Dark End
04. I Gave You Everything
05. Ritual
06. Apocalypse Flare
07. W.O.O.O.U
08. In Your Name
09. Glass
10. Kill It
11. Cuts Inside
Line-up
Alex
Mattias
Hugo
Jonas
Website
http://thencomessilence.eu / https://www.facebook.com/thencomessilence
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
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