Review Summary: The seed of influence that Katatonia planted back in 2006 is starting to sprout into something to look out in the near future…
In The Silence is an Atmospheric progressive metal/rock band from Sacramento, California. After listening to their debut, the first thing that pops up to mind is the comparison to the new era of Katatonia. To any of the readers reading this as of now, I have to settle this before it escalades into a negative interpretation. In The Silence is nowhere near sounding like a carbon-copy, nor do they rip off Katatonia’s brand of atmospheric prog metal/rock. However, there is a clear indication of influence that’s heavily drawn from Katatonia, Opeth, and Anathema, but In The Silence takes those influences and paint a realm they can call their own.
At the beginning, “Ever Closer” displays an atmospheric acoustic progression that’s structured in an arpeggio format, which alone foreshadows the atmosphere the band is going at. Nevertheless, don’t let this characteristic fool you either, because the song doesn’t beat around the bush, before you know it you’ll be pummeled with face crushing riffs! Alas, I can’t deny the fact that In The Silence is sounding a lot like Katatonia, however, there are a few characteristics that separates In The Silence from their idols. The first one has to be their skilled, yet melodic vocalist, Josh Burke. Secondly, the most standout feature of In The Silence’s sound are the melodies that Nate Higgins and Josh Burke produce on the guitars, as well as the haunting solos that range from both acoustic and electric. The feature of these solos and melodies should put an end to any dispute in the first song over whether they’re a Katatonia copycat or not, because let’s face it; Katatonia hardly solos hard. In Addition, the drummer, Niko Panagopoulos, showcases his tremendous skill at the drums with accurate precision, and a sense of what fits for the mood of the atmosphere. The same can be said about Dennis Davis the bass player; he plays what’s best (sorry, he’s just another bass player as I see it; he’s not all that innovative).
Another great aspect about
A Fair Dream Gone Mad and the performance of Josh Burke has to be the poetic lyrics. Now, it’s no lie that In The Silence draws influence from Katatonia and Opeth instrumentally (more so with Katatonia), but they also sing about despair and other melancholies (Anathema or Katatonia influence?). But they do it in a way that’s more consistent and direct where you can follow along with the story of the lyrics. Something most of Katatonia’s lyrics tend to have: confusing lyrics (doesn’t mean it’s bad though).
Back to the album, “Ever Closer” starts the album strong with foreshadowed atmosphere directions within the first few seconds, but it also showcases some of the heavier parts of the album. While it’s evident that the vocals are soothing to the ear and flow all too well from beginning to the end, practically every song displays differing tones and emotions that create a consistent yet interesting atmosphere that comes from Josh Burke’s vocals. However, his vocals are not the only factor that makes
A Fair Dream Gone Mad good. In fact any guitarist can find inspiration from any track, especially from “Beneath These Falling Leaves”, “17 Shades”, “Serenity”, and the superb instrumental “Close to Me”. The same can also be said about the drum monster that is Niko Panagopoulos.
In conclusion, In The Silence’s
A Fair Dream Gone Mad has a clear influence that’s directly from Katatonia and Opeth, but there’s no need to fret for this band doesn’t make a carbon-copy at all! Instead they make an album that has their own atmosphere, and their own sound.
A Fair Dream Gone Mad is a must have for any Katatonia, Opeth, or Anathema fan.
Recommended Tracks:
Ever Closer
Beneath These Falling Leaves
Closer to Me
