Some bands get really ambitious with their sound and Italy’s Mourn in Silence is one of those bands. As if symphonic black/death metal were not enough, they’ve incorporated bits and pieces from other genres like neoclassical power metal and goth/doom into their sound. The result is an album that is full of surprises on first listen, but one that is tied together very well.
Mourn in Silence is band with a bit of history. If you look back far enough in their history, you can find the band started in 1997 in Imola, Italy as an evolution of a solo project by guitarist and vocalist Andrea Mosconi. In 1998, Andrea met fellow guitarist and keyboard player Francesco Pastore and a demo was released. This was followed in 2001 with Light of Misery and in 2003 by Redemption. Since Redemption, however, Mourn in Silence has not released any material until this release, Until the Stars Won’t Fall.
From the perspective of sound, Mourn in Silence is very tough to categorize as they draw inspiration from many different genres. The opening song on Until the Stars Won’t Fall, “Custos Mortis” certainly sets the tone for a symphonic metal album with its haunting keyboards, subdued, chanting/whispering and overall orchestration that goes right into the second track, “Beginning of Ruin”, which has the blast beats, and black/death vocals one would expect in symphonic metal. Keyboards play a crucial role in the overall sound of Mourn in Silence and carry parts of the songs as well as the guitars and drums. After the first two songs, I was expecting more of the same symphonic black/death metal, but then “Winter’s Breath” started with an opening more akin to what one would find in power metal. Vocals in “Winter’s Breath” are still black/death in nature and the atmosphere created by the keyboards and guitars drive this into more of a gothic sound. I’m calling this gothic power metal, complete with some great guitar work and a haunting keyboard interlude and ending.
“Where the Sun Can’t Shine” continues with the gothic power metal sound and is the first song where the clean female vocals play a prominent role, trading off parts with the black/death male vocals. The female vocals have that desired, haunting quality about them that fit the tone and style of the music very well. I can best describe them as a cross between Amy Lee (Evanescence) and the clean vocals of Candace Kucsulain (Walls of Jericho) on the Redemption album. Caterina M.’s vocals return to the forefront later in the album during “A Secret Grief” and the hauntingly beautiful “Until the Stars Won’t Fall”. “A Secret Grief” features a church organ-like sound throughout and some trading off between the clean vocals and some whispered death/black vocals, complemented by some great virtuoso guitar work that eventually fades out into what best can be described as the sounds of the wilderness at night. The overall orchestration and intricate, complex arrangements in Mourn in Silence songs really add to the listening enjoyment.
“Heart of Madness” is the first video from this album and perhaps rightly so, demonstrates the many facets of the sound of Mourn in Silence. The song starts out with some sounds of the wilderness and small children singing a somewhat morbid song, setting a somewhat dark tone and atmosphere. “There’s a black, black cat in a black, black hole. If you watch his eyes, you will lose your soul.” Then the drums kick in and the song takes off. There is a strong sense of melody at times accented and driven by the guitars and at other times by the keyboards and drums. Death/black vocals are throughout the song and toward the middle there is a short ambient section with the return of the children’s voices just before a guitar solo and the return to the main melody of the song and a closing guitar solo.
Rating: 9/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist:
1. Custos Mortis
2. Beginning of Ruin
3. Winter’s Breath
4. Where the Sun Can’t Shine
5. Heart of Madness
6. Un Lacrimoso Rivo
7. Severance
8. A Secret Grief
9. Until the Stars Won’t Fall
Band members:
Andrea Mosconi – Voice, Guitar
Francesco Pastore – Guitar
Alessio Mosconi – Keyboards
Elia Fusella – Bass
Luca Silecchia – Drums
Discography:
1998 – Demo(ns)
2001 – Light of Misery
2003 – Redemption
2012 – Until the Stars won’t Fall
Record Label: ControCorrente Records, Oct. 2012
Weblinks: Facebook / Myspace / Twitter / Reverbnation
Buy the album here:
Holland & Worldwide: First Paradox Metalrecords