Burn In Silence

Let’s face it: 70% of the melodic choruses we hear sound straight out of the sale bin at Gothenburg Almost R’ Us. How did this appalling state of affairs come about? Who knows? Rampant overcompensation complexes, maybe, or some undiscovered virus that makes songwriters unconsciously emulate Toto the band, when they’d be better off looking to Dorothy’s dog for inspiration. The phenomenon’s whys and wherefores matter less than its effects. Here you are, happily basking in brutality, and suddenly you’re assaulted by Bono II covering Celine Dion, again and again and again.

It doesn’t have to be like this. On Angel Maker, Burn in Silence consistently pump color and heat into choruses that ring angelic, minus recycled business rock clichés. Opener “Lines From an Epitaph” finds the Massachusetts-based sextet contrasting thrash precision and progressive pomp with a distinctly Gothic chorus, singer Chris Harrell’s studied gutturals giving way to what could be great Samael himself as he croons “Your actions have been/ the cause of your demise/ Stop blaming others/ You chose your way to die.” Keyboardist Ben Schulkin keeps a tight rein on the song’s symphonic aspects, slipping deftly in and out of a Tue Madsen-crafted mix that captures track and band’s polyphonia admirably. Granted, the album might benefit mightily from a little more tonal variety in the guitar section—Mike Casavant and Alan Glassman seem a bit more stuck in a single mindset than befits Burn in Silence’s overall range—but getting other people’s old habits out of your system is what first albums are for.—Rod Smith - Decibel

Bands eligible for "Best Metal Newcomer of 2006" included bands who have released their first full length album or released their first album on a somewhat major metal label, or even have no formal release at all. This is a tough category to get consensus on, since we all have different tastes in metal and will hear of only relatively few new bands each year. The band that rose to the top, however was: Burn In Silence

http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=23707 - Metal Underground

Right off the bat when I got this album, I was impressed with the cover art. Normally that doesn’t catch my eye but I could sense the rage seething from this album by just opening it up. A searing skull and arms is always a good way to kick off a metal album. With Burn In Silence’s Angel Maker, the substance definitely doesn’t disappoint.

“Lines From An Epitaph” is chaotic and feels like something out of a Castlevania video game with the keyboards and haunting melody, but it sounds great. Chris Harrell’s contrasting high-pitched scream and wailing singing voice proves formidable in every single verse and hook that the band plays, and it all just sounds so tight and flows great.

The impressive drum work surprised me the most on the album and it really shines on songs like “Embrace the Plague,” with slick double-bass and speedy snare beats that give this album more of a black metal feel than the typical melodic death elements that metalcore bands tend to swipe from. Very unique.

As the album progresses it flirts with thrashing like Bleeding Through or dipping into main stream metalcore a la Atreyu, but stays away and keeps everything balanced. Songs like “Primal Human Pain” express this perfectly, creating chaos with a nasty bass-heavy beat and then cooling off with melodies and singing. It sounds like Burn In Silence has been perfecting this for years, but for a debut LP this is even more amazing.

Songs like “The Age In Which Tomorrow Brings” veer off the path into a slower sound that doesn’t flow quite as well, but other than that it’s hard to find a real gripe with this effort. Check it out as soon as you can.

Rating: 9/10

http://www.smnnews.com/2006/08/05/burn-in-silence-angel-maker/ - SMN News

Burn in Silence’s Prosthetic Record’s debut, Angel Maker, is an ambitious, experimental metal record. From the amazing mix of brutal riffs and manic drumming on the opener “Lines from an Epitaph,” you might think you’re in for yet another metalcore band. Then you notice a symphonic effect via keyboards, along with a clean, melodic chorus, and you realize this is something special.

The violent screams and technical riffing of “The Age in Which Tomorrow Brings” have an apocalyptic feel, giving away at times to an emo-like chorus. A death metal blast beat, backed by piano, erupts on “Embrace The Plague.” The same goes for “Primal Human Pain” with its whirling keyboards, stop-start riff and a Hatebreed-like, shout-it-out ending. The 10 songs of Angel Maker take the listener on an exciting journey of surprising twists and turns, some of which are jaw-dropping. The dynamics are impressive as the band shifts from epic, melodic choruses to something that sounds like someone being attacked by a runaway jackhammer.

Burn in Silence are similar to Between the Buried and Me, minus the annoying offbeat time signatures and long, boring piano pieces. You get about a 20-second piano piece at the end of “Watching Dead Leaves Fall,” but that’s it. The difference is that Burn in Silence transitions much better while still having a lot packed into each song. Despite accurate descriptions using words like “experimentation” and “symphonic,” this is very much a metal band. Angel Maker is one of the heaviest releases from a non-death metal band in recent memory. Burn in Silence refuse to settle for the average, run-of-the-mill material that 100 other bands are playing. They realize that experimentation and exciting ideas can make for a great album, which is just what Angel Maker is.

http://www.live-metal.net/cdreviews_burninsilence_angelmaker.html - Live-Metal.net