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These days, the designation industrial metal can mean almost anything. In the case of The Deafening Silence it means unique-sounding, intricate, riff-oriented, melodic metal with electronics, songs whose tone is dark but not depressive. "Anxiety," the band's own description of what their music sounds like, may be too strong a term, but on A Pale Spark there is a feeling of unease: the "lagom" version of anxiety, perhaps. These guys are, after all, Swedes, hailing from the Göteborg area. Joining founder Emanuel Petersson (composer, guitarist, programmer, keyboardist, second vocalist) are lead singer Alex Gnudi, drummer Kristofer "Kricka" Bergman, and bassist Kenny Boufadene, the latter two also members of The Deliverance, the melodic metal band which Petersson himself recently joined, having previously co-produced/mixed and played on their demos. He was likewise at the controls for A Pale Spark: producing, recording, mixing, and editing (mastering being done at Monsterstudion by Philip Granquist of Sadovaja). The recording quality is impeccable. However, while pristine and non-sterile, the sound is a little thin and trebly. Although Boufadene is listed in the credits, the bass is so unnoticeable as to appear virtually nonexistent. At times Bergman is allowed to shine, but for the most part the low end is insubstantial.
Petersson's technical skills are more evident in his complex weaving of guitars with electronic elements, for which he has an excellent feel. There is, additionally, an elegance to his playing that works well with the synthetic sounds. Built on the demo's most creative riff, "Our Golgata" combines nice, layered electronics with heavy, tight riffing and melodic leads, executing inventive movements between the two modes in an instrumental interlude. The song's long, tense but trippy opening is echoed in an atmospheric ending that provides an effective lead-in (where they might have considered eliminating the pause) to the next track. On "t.d.s." the mood remains edgy but introduces a stronger note of melancholy through beautiful, haunting guitars and effects. The way they soar over Bergman's militaristic snare drumming during one stretch gives this track a majestic feel, and in the opening and first verse the very faint piano in the background is a shrewd touch. Funkier and more of a rocker, "Fire I Still Walk with You" is the thinnest sounding of the three, but its guitar harmonies and soloing are memorable.
Boosting the bottom end would make this interesting, multi-leveled music not only more complete, but also better able to compete for attention with Alex Gnudi's thick, gruff, rhythmic shout. Prominently mixed, his voice is such a distraction that real effort is required to concentrate on the other sounds enough to experience them satisfactorily. Besides the loudness, which is especially overpowering on "t.d.s." (on which he's joined by Emanuel Petersson) and "Fire I Still Walk with You," the contrast between Gnudi's one-dimensional abrasiveness and this sophisticated but somewhat delicate music is too extreme to be dynamic, and that would be the case, I believe, no matter how full or how balanced the sound was. Pairing intricate melodies with a more rhythmic singing style definitely could work, but not if it's a substitute for a potent presence on the part of drums and bass, and not this particular kind of vocal. Although Petersson's Syd Barrett-like voice is more suitable and his dreamy, world-weary tone might be appropriate for the lyrics of "t.d.s.," in general something less laidback would be desirable: complementary but assertive. I would love, love, and I mean LOVE to hear The Deafening Silence with vocals à la Deathstars' Whiplasher. Alternately, if it were denser, the music could easily stand on its own, as the extensive instrumental passages demonstrate. The dimensions are there; they just need to be fleshed out more.
For an early demo, A Pale Spark is very evolved. The interplay between industrial and dark melodic metal sounds is advanced. The songwriting is adventurous, each track distinct, each branching out in some way. In terms of composition and execution the band have taken a step forward from their first, self-titled demo. This growth, along with the elasticity of their style, their capacity to go in different directions, is encouraging and exciting. Emanuel Petersson himself is a special talent whose entire career I'm looking forward to. With his multiple skills, creativity, and charisma, his future work in this band and any other with which he becomes involved will have my interest automatically.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Our Golgata |
| 2. T.D.S. |
| 3. Fire I Still Walk With You |
: 15.10
| Buy other The Deafening Silence albums |
