The Silent Era - Heaven//Hell (self-released)

I use the word abrasive a lot. It’s one of my go-to descriptors for music found in heavier musical realms. But I think that will have to a find new replacements for the word. Why? Because having heard The Silent Era and the sound they make on “Heaven //Hell”, a genuinely abrasive noise, I won’t be able to, in good conscience, apply it to anything less than such industrial, grinding, metallic (in the elemental and generic sense) snarling, shredded music. Certainly not the, now seemingly polite and posturing, alt-rock that I have thrown the word at in the past. That’s me taught a lesson, for sure.

“Heaven//Hell reminds me a lot of some of the music I grew up on, those bands that blended post-punk intensity with a more groove-orientated sound, those that skirted metal and goth, punk and rock and yet outgunned them on all sonic fronts, and did so whilst creating the perfect anthem for the alternative club dance floor- anthemic, cavernous and menacing.

But, forgive me if I seem to be giving the impression that this is just wall of noise stuff. Well, it is that, but it is so much more too, a wall of noise opaque enough that you can see the mastery and talent that has gone into its creation, a squalling sound, yes, but one that lets you appreciate the sonic building blocks they are using here.

And then there is Bri Macanas voice; perfect for this music. A vocal controlled enough to ride the musical waves growing behind her and then powerful enough to add her own sonic textures to the barely restrained intensity as it is unleashed. And, for an even better appreciation of her skills, and to hear the band in more mid-paced yet no less powerful mode, virtually flip the digital single over and give what we used to call the b-side, “Scorpio – Slowpio – Live at Brighton Electric Studio”, a spin; you’ll thank me.

If you are a fan of goth music, you’ll appreciate the darkness that lurks here. If metal is your thing, then you’ll love the intensity. Shoegazers will like the ferocious walls of noise, and post-punkers will recognise a wonderfully nostalgia echo. But essentially, anyone with discerning music taste and a desire for something a bit set apart from the pack, a band staking out their own sonic ground, needs The Silent Era in their lives.

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