Silent Screams

When It Rains

Written by: AP on 11/01/2012 20:53:30

Although the story of Coventry, UK based Silent Screams is still very brief, the band has managed to rake up impressive credentials touring the UK, mainland Europe and Australia alongside bands like Bring Me the Horizon, Your Demise, For the Fallen Dreams and Emmure. Following those tours the band swiftly enlisted the services of Joey Sturgis to record their debut album, "When It Rains". It should be easy to deduce from their touring partners where the band's influences lie, and thus unsurprising to find that Silent Screams are faithful practitioners of the metalcore genre.

In fact, Silent Screams sound unmistakably similar to Bury Tomorrow: James Ryan's growling is perhaps slightly deeper and less versatile than that of Daniel Winter Bates, the clean singing of bassist Tom Craig sounds almost like a clone of Jason Cameron, the music adheres to an equally basic metalcore formula, and the production is just as thick and focused on making the breakdowns sound as brutal as possible. The notable difference between the two bands is sadly that where Bury Tomorrow possess a knack for writing instant hits, Silent Screams have much less finesse when it comes to writing memorable songs. Don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with songs like "Assume the Worst" and "Desperation", but the immediate impression one forms is that Ryan would be better of growling in a death metal band, while guitarists Sam Varney and Ozzi Osman would be more suited for providing the basis for a good metallic hardcore band.

Although Bury Tomorrow cannot be said to push the envelope either, their guitar brainiac Mehdi Vismara is much more adept at providing texture to an otherwise elementary palette, while misters Varney and Osman tend to lag behind in that department, settling instead for common staccato riffs, horror chords and melodic leads - and lots of chugging. In this respect Silent Screams are extremely similar to For the Fallen Dreams, who also prefer safety over ambition and write fully functional songs that have almost no edge. Certain audiences have no qualms about such an approach, however, and clearly it is these people that Silent Screams are targeting: people that enjoy simplicity and ample opportunities to mosh and sing along in concerts.

True songs like "'Til There's Nothing Left", "Pacific Highway" and "When It Rains" are very infectious from the get-go, but there is a pressing need for additional propulsion to transform them into something greater than mere good metalcore songs. Despite solid musicianship and a certain level of immediacy to the songs, there is not enough inspiration, nor enough ambition to differentiate the music of Silent Screams from the throng of other bands in the genre. It all sounds a little too Americanized (as in prosthetic) to make a genuine impact on the metalcore scene.

Download: Desperation, 'Til There's Nothing Left, Pacific Highway, When It Rains
For the fans of: Bury Tomorrow, For the Fallen Dreams, Of Virtue
Listen: Facebook

Release date 24.10.2011
Ghost Music

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