Release Date: 12th October 2021
Label: Solid State Records.
For Fans Of: Architects, Bring Me The Horizon, Northlane
If you go to your local record store, you’ll probably find Silent Planet in the metal section. But what makes their fourth album, Iridescent, so good is its ability to never stick with the same sound for long. Throughout its 40 minutes, Every Time I Die hardcore sits along anthemic pop-punk choruses, all cased inside a relentless, murderous metal framework. They seamlessly slide between all of them, resulting in an album that feels like a tribute to heavy music.
To truly appreciate Iridescent then, a love of all the styles of heavy is needed. It’s built on the shoulders of those before them, taking their favourite moments from the scene’s biggest albums and piecing them together with scientific precision. They set this stall out early, as the second track ‘Translate the Night,’ feels like every style in three minutes: Opening with squealing metalcore guitars and caustic vocals, it leads you through a bleak verse before landing in a downright catchy, almost pop-punk like chorus. The song ends with a chugging, violent breakdown, completing the musical tour.
Of course, Silent Planet aren’t the first band to do this, nor is it the first time they’ve done it themselves. Bands such as Architects have been genre jumping for years, showing us the lines between heavy genres are more a suggestion than a Berlin Wall.
There are many bright spots: ‘Alive, as a Housefire’ will be a concert classic, with its addictive hook of “Fuck the system, break the prism,” while the melancholically melodic ‘Panopticon’ stands out for both its technical work and ability to melt faces.
The problem with this approach however, comes on the few occasions where the four-piece misses the mark, creating an almost cover-band like feel. When the California band don’t put their own unique spin on it, there’s an unshakeable sense of previously heard. ‘Terminal’ feels like an outtake from Bring Me The Horizon’s Sempiternal, complete with reverbed vocals and eerie synths. Unfortunately, BMTH did it better. It’s a rare issue, but it’s enough to hold Iridescent from its full potential.
Silent Planet’s versatility allows them to hold a funhouse mirror to the scene, reflecting the best of their contemporaries in a new and exciting way. When they nail it, it’s an album to behold, leaving consistency, not content, the only thing holding them back.
Rating: 7/10
Recommended Track: ‘Alive, as a Housefire‘