Silent Skies – Dormant (Napalm)
Friday, 18th August 2023
Few bands operate in such a space where they simultaneously write some of the most beautiful sounding music, yet provide such an utterly powerful gutpunch. But such is the realm of Silent Skies, the group voiced by Evergrey’s Tom Englund and pianist/composer Vikram Shankar – the duo have crafted some of the most breaktaking, emotive output that one can simply dread to listen to – albeit in the best way possible. What makes Silent Skies such a force to be reckoned with is the combination of Englund’s charismatic vocals and Shankar’s immersive soundscapes, and the reason that it’s dreadful is the sheer honesty and ‘realness’ of the lyrical content. If Silent Skies are good at one thing, it’s pulling you in completely and causing you to really feel what they are doing, and this scribe can’t seem to do it without having at least one cry session.
For those familiar with the act, it’s more of the same – yet not. The opening description describes what they are doing just fine, as with their two previous releases. BUT that’s doing Dormant a huge disservice to simply keep it as that. One could say that Silent Skies have found their footing in the past, with the beautiful soundscapes and Englund’s stunningly matched vocals. Dormant then expands their palette a bit. “New Life” has a dark and mysterious vibe that runs through it musically, channeling some murky vibes that swing it in a different direction that much of the band’s previous material. Immediately following is the more ethereal sounding “Churches,” really providing a glow and warmth, even with the very metallic lyrics of “I don’t believe there is a heaven because the sky has an end.” Likewise, “The Real Me” has this eclectic feeling to the electronics, an almost new wave-y feeling that combines itself with a rousing climax that truly tugs on the heartstrings (and frequently leaves me in a blubbering mess). In terms of sheer uplift and ‘awwww’ sentiment, look no further than “Light up the Dark,” which really impresses because it walks that line where it could feel too saccharine, but they keep it very classy and it comes off as a very graceful and moving track. If you want to get a real pulse for the diversity on the album, look no further than the three extra covers at the end, Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” and Linkin Park’s “Numb.” It’s amazing how well they take these very familiar songs and twist them into a perfectly fitting Silent Skies sound – if you hadn’t heard the originals you might be hard-pressed to identify them as cover songs.
It’s all about exploring different shades and soundscapes with Dormant, but unifying them under a banner that ushers in genuine and powerful sentiments. Once Silent Skies ensnares themselves into your emotions, they bring you along for a poignant ride that isn’t like much else out there. Elegant, catchy, and ultimately moving, this is one release that really glimmers and shines – particularly as it makes you examine and reflect on your own feelings, be they good or bad ones. That is the sign of an album that deeply resonates.
