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: : Posthumous Silence : :
Sylvan is a German band, who have been releasing albums on a regular
basis since 1999. Posthumous Silence is their fifth release.
Musically, they
are not too unlike early Marillion. They use lots of keyboards to create
lush atmospheres for other instruments to play upon, and in several
songs the guitarist use a technique I think of as "plucking" which
sounds quite similar to the guitar sound you'll hear in the more mellow
songs from early Marillion.
But Sylvan are by
no means a Marillion clone, and neither would it be fair to classify
them as a typical "neo-prog" band.
Although the
keyboards are used extensively, there's no self-indulgent flamboyance
offered here by the keyboard player. The keyboard is rarely allowed to
dominate the soundscapes offered, instead the piano more often takes a
leading role by providing melodies.
Furthermore,
Sylvan use a lot of metal guitars throughout the album. They could have
chosen to let the guitar dominate several tracks, creating a more prog
metal atmosphere. Instead, they have chosen to mix the guitar quite far
back in the soundscape, and most often the raw and rough edges of the
metal guitar has been taken away as well - leaving the guitars role in
the soundscape to create dark moods and to enhance the overall mood of
the songs. In the few tracks where the guitar then appears more in the
forefront of the soundscape, the effect is extremely effective.
Instead, the
electric guitar played without the typical metal fuzz and distortion are
used extensively to carry melodies along with the piano.
And the voice of
vocalist Marco Glühmann can be said to be an instrument as well as a
provider of lyrics on this release, as he has a good voice with a good
range, and clearly know how to best utilize his voice to communicate and
enhance emotions and moods.
The track listing
on the album lists up a massive amount of 15 songs. For the prog nerd,
it may be a comfort knowing that musically, it could just as well have
been listed as two tracks. All of the tracks here are parts of a whole,
where sections has been singled out as single tracks.
As for the songs
offered, I won't go into detail. It is a concept album, as you may have
guessed from the previous paragraph, and a high quality release without
obvious weaknesses. The songs are well made in writing as well as
performance, and explore the darker side of life; melancholy, sadness
and desperation are moods and emotions extensively projected throughout
the record.
Personal favorites
among all the great tracks on this album: "In Chains", "Message From The
Past" and "Posthumous Silence".
Rating: 9 (out of
10)
Reviewer: Olav Björnsen
: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :
: : Discography : :
Presets (2007)
Posthumous Silence (2006)
X-Rayed (2004)
Artificial Paradise (2002)
Encounters (2000)
Deliverance (1999) |
