Music Review: Illuminate the Silence – Silverhoney

Illuminate the Silence are five musicians from Moscow still experimenting to find their own sound. And just like the band’s name, Silverhoney is a non sequitur, leaping back and forth between metal, rock, jazz and even funk. The four-song EP moves in and out of these styles, abruptly switching from one to another throughout.

At times, the sonic shifts are disjointed, but when the schizophrenia works, it is a thing of beauty. Title track The Silverhoney is one such example. The song meanders through musical styles, ebbing and flowing with ease, taking the listener on an emotional journey. Growls morph into singing as heavy, distorted guitar rhythms give way to energetic, head-bopping riffs. The Silverhoney isn’t just a song—it’s a metal symphony that builds to climax and full conclusion.

It’s that ability to progress a song from beginning to end that sets Illuminate the Silence apart from other metal bands. Not the standard verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus pattern most bands use, their post-metal influences help them build satisfying songs with substance.

The guitar work on Silverhoney is mostly doom and post-metal inspired, but isn’t limited to these styles. Classic metal riffs fade in and out of most songs. And though the guitars on the album are very good, the rhythm section drives the sound. Jazz-infused beats and funky baselines dominate the album’s  best parts. But don’t let the progressive styles fool you. This duo can play it heavy. My Preacher and Weary Oblivion feature mostly metal and rock beats. Though stylistically different, the unique drum and bass patterns remind me of the time Incubus appeared on the scene, showing us rock still had new avenues to explore.

Silverhoney isn’t a perfect album. My Preacher sounds more like a medley than a single song, and the band’s experimentation sometimes reaches the absurd. The death-metal growls forty-eight seconds into Sunday Monster don’t fit into the flow of the song, and make a potentially great song merely good. This lack of transitions between opposing styles holds the album back.

Four songs just aren’t enough to discern any band’s style, particularly a band with such a wide breadth of abilities as Illuminate the Silence. But, Silverhoney does give us enough to appreciate the band’s unique musical talents. I highly recommend this album to metal fans who enjoy one-off types of music that defy classification.

Track List:

1)      My Preacher
2)      The Silverhoney
3)      Weary Oblivion
4)      Sunday Monster

Illuminate the Silence – Silverhoney