Silverstein – Dead Reflection
Release Date: 14 July 2017
Label: Rise Records
‘Dead Reflection’ marks genre veterans Silverstein’s whopping ninth record. Hailing from Toronto, Canada the Post-Hardcore stalwarts have helped mould the scene since 2003’s debut ‘When Broken Is Easily Fixed’ and this album shows no sign of them backing down any time soon. Remarkably, their sound has remained impeccably consistent throughout their 17-year history, something that can’t be said about many of their mid-2000 contemporaries . Despite this, their sound has never gotten stale nor generic as they’ve always saved their tried and tested sound as they moved on.
This album features the ever-familiar Silverstein formula of melodic, soaring instruments, contrasted with driving, heavy riffs, and breakdowns whilst vocalist Shane Told expertly sings and screams his way through lyrics containing themes of depression, self-doubt, but also hope.
Opener ‘Last Looks’ is the perfect introduction to both the album but also Silverstein as a band for anyone who hadn’t come across them before, it’s relentless hardcore riffs ripping throughout the song. Whilst many of the songs on this album follow much of the same sound, it’s the songs that deviate from the traditional post-hardcore formula that really stand out on this album; from the chameleonic ‘Lost Positives’ to ‘Mirror Box’s’ slow burn and the surprisingly summery pop-punk song ‘The Afterglow’, Silverstein show that they still have a few tricks up their sleeve.
Making it look easy at this point ‘Dead Reflection’ is an album that refuses to conform and instead puts their own twist on an often-generic genre. As long as Silverstein continue to remember both their roots yet also have their eyes firmly on the future then I’m sure we will be enjoying their records for many more years.
Rating: 8/10
Recommended Tracks: Retrograde, Aquamarine, The Afterglow
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