SILENTIUM – Amortean

Finland is well known for giving the world one of its most well known female fronted Metal groups in Nightwish. Likewise, Silentium hails from Finland and also features a decent looking lady on vox. When listening to this group, expect Symphonic Metal and all the larger-than-life sounds that tend to come along with it. Silentium has been around for a while. With the passing of years, the band has had a rotating cast of members, especially where the vocal department goes. They released their first full length in 1999 but formed in ’96.

With Amortean, things kick off in a grandiose way. “Leave the Fallen Behind” features an orchestral ensemble accompanied by the speedy guitar work of Toni Lahtinen & Juha Lehtioksa and the diverse vocal talents of lead singer, Riina Rinkinen. With the extravagance of all the instruments and the fast pace, the band gets off to an inspiring start. Things slow when “The Messenger” arrives but the promise the group showed doesn’t dissipate with the deduction in speed.

The band follows this up with the best track on the album: “A Knife In the Back”. The guitar tones are decidedly dark and the title should give you the sense that this isn’t a happy-go-lucky number. Along with Rinkinen’s cold tone, the guitars are made to sound cries of grief, which makes for a depressing tone. When the song comes to an end, it does so with no shortage of lavishness. A guitar solo, backed by more of the customary orchestral sounds, makes for a really nice close.

“The Fallen Ones With You Tonight” is the fourth song. Along with Rinkinen’s soothing tone, it features some harsh (borderline-death) growling by a male member of the group. This is the longest track on the album and it morphs into an eerie and unusual journey. Certain parts of it are actually really restful, but there are others which are kind of abrasive. This makes for a disjointed and awkward feel.

There’s also a male vocalist on “My Broken Angel”. However, he doesn’t compliment Rinkinen that well. Still, this is isn’t the worst song on Amortean and it sees the group regain a little form. “The Cradle of Nameless” boasts a female choir. As such, things escalate into an even higher level of splendor. Some of the other instruments incorporated into “Cradle” give it a bit of a folk feel. In the end, it’s hard for this tune not to seem out of place, as it’s a bit too showy for its own good.

Clocking in at less than three minutes, “Storm Sight Solicitude” is the shortest song on the album. When set against the longer tracks, it doesn’t feel out of place. Sad thing is, just when things seem to get going, the song comes to an abrupt end. “Embrace the Storm” follows and distinguishes itself for featuring some bad male vocals. The guy on this one doesn’t sing his parts so much as he barks them like a dog. Fortunately, his time is brief and Rinkinen saves things before they go astray. The final song, “La Fin Du Monde”, has a majestic touch. For the first couple minutes, the guitars are conspicuously absent. Once they kick in, they add prominence to the song. Things end on a pretty speedy and heavy note, with Rinkinen yelling something that’s virtually impossible to make out.

Overall, “Amortean” isn’t a bad album. As Symphonic Metal goes, it’s probably what most anyone would hope for. The compositions have an imposing, massive feel. Problem is, the performances sometimes seem a little irregular. Certain pieces of this puzzle just don’t fit properly. Male vocalist aside, this is a very well performed piece. However, Silentium needs to focus on the bigger picture if it expects to gain greater praise for its work. When their songs are structured with more care, increased success should follow.