Silent Knight: Full Force

Silent Knight are a Power Metal act from Perth, Western Australia. Formed in 2009, the hard working act have a number of albums and EP’s under their belt and have played alongside some of the heavyweights of the genre. Their latest album Full Force is set for release on September 23. If you’re a fan of Iron Maiden, Helloween, Iced Earth, Megadeth or Blind Guardian read on!

The release of the new album has been a long time in the making. Silent Knight’s most recent album was released in 2017, however the album was a re-recording of their Debut release Masterplan rather than an album of new material. They’ve also released a handful of cover versions in the time since. The debut recording of Masterplan (2013) was a little rough around the edges but the song writing was classy, so I don’t begrudge the band for embarking on the ‘re-record’ project. However, because of this you need to go all the way back to 2015’s Conquer and Command album to hear the latest original Silent Knight material. Whether we want to call it a 7 year gap or a 5 year gap, its fair to say that Silent Knight are overdue for a new album, and there’s no doubt that their fans are eager to get their hands on this new release. The other notable aspect to discuss to give Full Force the required context is that it is the first album to feature new vocalist Dan Brittan. Outgoing vocalist Jesse Onur Oz was a brilliant vocalist that gave the bands sound some real class, so the change of vocalist adds an additional point of interest for me.

The albums gets underway with "Blood In the Water". This track is brimming with all of the hallmarks of Silent Knight’s sound, merging the aggressive riffing style of Iced Earth with the melodic, anthemic sensibilities of Helloween. New vocalist Dan Brittan’s performance is strong too- any fears about the change in vocalists impacting the band’s sound can be put to bed, with his high falsetto being particularly head turning. Next up is "Full Force". This is another great track full of high tempo, aggressive riffing, memorable vocals and head turning shredding. Cameron Nicholas’ lead guitar playing is a legitimate highlight on this track and throughout the release generally. I have no doubt that as Silent Knight’s stocks continue to rise, he will gain more and more recognition in guitar circles. Track 3, "The Last Candle Burns" is one of my favourite tracks on the release-it contains some intricate riffing, great melodic hooks, and a dark, aggressive interlude section. Again, I find the melodic approach in the vocals to be reminiscent of OG Helloween which is only ever a positive in my books.

The first 3 tracks are particularly strong- no doubt this is high calibre power metal; The combination of epic melodies and powerful riffing cannot be denied. Allowing myself to be critical, and perhaps its just a personal preference thing (I’m not a die hard power metaller), but I find the album looses a little steam after the high throttle start. The remaining 5 tracks are solid, and continue to offer good melodic hooks and riffing, but I don’t feel like they on the same epic tier that the first 3 tracks manage to achieve.

All in all there can be little doubt that this is a quality release. If you’re any more than a casual power metal fan don’t hesitate to check this one out when it drops next month. In the meantime, I’d recommend that you check out the first two singles on Youtube.

Track Listing

1. Blood In the Water
2. Full Force
3. The Last Candle Burns
4. Dark and Mysterious Times
5. Screaming Eagle
6. Into Oblivion
7. Awakening
8. Create a New World

Added: September 3rd 2022
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 732
Language: english

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