DeathOfSeasons
Burn in Silence are a strange band. I don't mean that in the sense that they have an unparalleled level of originality but more so in that they play in a scene lacking any emotion. Don't try to fool yourself, most Melodic Metalcore is half-assed Melodic Death Metal with catchy choruses aiming for mainstream success (see Atreyu) that sounds completely mechanical and soulless. But then you have Burn in Silence, a band that play with such fury and anger. Their music is absolutely crushing up until their catchy choruses which are powerful and memorable.
Angel Maker is amazing from start to finish. The album kicks off with Lines From an Epitaph, a track loaded with breakdowns that still manages to be interesting. Rebirth is like modern In Flames done well with the addition of keyboards. The Age in Which Tomorrow Brings sounds like more standard Metalcore but with an incredibly catchy chorus. Embrace the Plague begins with a technical riff that wouldn't sound out of place in an Ignominious Incarceration song. Then you have Primal Human Pain, which begins with the cry of "Pure as your first day" and a thrashy riff before heading straight into keyboard dominated Melodic Death Metal. The second half of the album fares just as well with Watching Dead Leaves Fall being a highlight thanks to the very well done and interesting drumming.
Angel Maker is littered with well done key sections that add a strong dark atmosphere, and they even sound romantic at times (Watching Dead Leaves Fall for example). The keys are greatly used in conjunction with the guitars, with the two often complementing each other. For example, World of Regret kicks off with a chaotic riff with the keys then adding an extremely apocalyptic tone to it all.
As amazing as Angel Maker is it does contain two problems, and even then they aren't that bad. The first is the vocals. Chris Harrell isn't a terrible vocalist, in fact his clean vocals are some of the best you'll find in Melodic Metalcore, a far cry from the squeaky chipmunk sounding vocals used by most, but his harsher vocals are a letdown. Once again, they aren't bad, but they're the same hardcore shouts we've been hearing since Earth Crisis kicked off the whole Metalcore scene.
The second problem can be quite annoying. Tracks such as Primal Human Pain and Angel Maker begin with amazing riffs, but they soon disappear only to never return. While this can be viewed as a good thing as songs are constantly evolving, moving onto new riffs, a crushing breakdown or an epic chorus it can be disappointing to hear something amazing only for it to be gone ten seconds later.
So if you're a fan of any type of Metalcore you have no excuse not to hear this. It's as close to perfection as Melodic Metalcore will ever get. It's a shame that Burn in Silence broke up, who knows what they could've accomplished on a follow up release.
Download: Angel Maker
For fans of: Bleeding Through, Still Remains
(Originally written for Rate Your Music)