On Silent Force's second album, Infatuator, vocalist D.C. Cooper proved to the world that he would have once made a suitable replacement for Rob Halford in Judas Priest – a gig he was actually in the running for until that band pegged Tim Owens. Now, on Worlds Apart, the third album from the transatlantic American/German band Silent Force, Cooper reigns himself in and lets his voice resonate deeper and become more ingrained in the melodies, almost as if it were another instrument. And by eschewing the primal screams of Infatuator, Silent Force takes on darker overtones, especially on tracks like "Heroes" (about the firefighters lost on 9/11) and "Death Comes in Disguise." Cooper also retains his prog/power-metal edge on opener "Ride the Storm" and "Master of My Destiny" and then shows his sensitive side on the ballad "Spread Your Wings," which opens with the voice of his young son. There are even references to the man's old band, Royal Hunt, in "No One Lives Forever" and "Hold On." Cooper and German guitarist extraordinaire Alex Beyrodt (formerly of Primal Fear), make a solid songwriting pair - especially now that they've abandoned some of the sci-fi themes that marked 2001's Infatuator and the 2000 debut The Empire of Future. Production duties by Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69) ensure that Silent Force's new approach works as well sonically as it does musically.
Track Listing:
1) Ride the Storm (4:40)
2) No One Lives Forever (4:04)
3) Hold On (4:50)
4) Once Again (3:47)
5) Master of My Destiny (5:41)
6) Heroes (4:30)
7) Death Comes in Disguise (4:34)
8) Merry Minstrel (4:26)
9) Spread Your Wings (5:31)
10) Iron Hand (5:03)
11) Heart Attack (5:02)
12) Worlds Apart (5:50)
Total Time: 57:59