We review a work that captivates in its authenticity from the first notes.
From the deep and ancient region of Piedmont (Italy) we are faced with the ancient legends of the Lanzo valleys and the Devil's Bridge... with this solid band of a magical concept.
The beginning of "The Hermit and His Invocation" creeps in slowly with sweet and mystical symphonic calls that break on a wall of sound typical of Atmospheric Black Metal, a genre proposed by Silem... with a captivating melody accompanied by riffs that are enriched with unexpected plots, between one tight palm mute and another... a first 5-minute journey that gives us hope for the rest.
The second track "Preceive the Afterlife" starts with an arpeggio, from the initial quiet it evolves with riffs that let melancholy tones breathe and a stop with great female singing, which I personally rarely appreciate, but which I find adequate here.
With the following track “The Necromancer” the cadence becomes truly extreme, Summum Algor behind the drum kit dominates the bpm and accurately doses fury and stillness; the riffing and songwriting reach almost modern tones, as well as keeping the listener's attention high.
The last track "Margarota the Witch" is perhaps the song with the greatest ceremony peak, between choirs and recited singing, ancient sounds... it opens up to evolutions of synths to start another ride towards narrow shores albeit with a melancholy and slower.
In short, it is a varied but compact album, well structured and full of pathos, suitable for taking the mind to other worlds. The proposal, although it is configured as Atmospheric Black Metal, is not at all dull, the synths have a modern touch, are well dosed and blended into the sound which is thus more characterized; Doc's voice masterfully interprets the lyrics, alternating different styles such as scream, growl, narrated and underlining the most engaging passages with profound emphasis.
In conclusion, the band's performance is excellent in re-proposing a genre that has made history: biting execution and, at times, elegant solutions for the guitars, nefarious singing, always pounding bass, mystical melody in the bases of synths which is the real "ferryman" towards the most exciting moments of this concept.
Dario "l'Omega il Rakshasa" Checchi
