It takes a lot of courage to run screaming away from your comfort zone and do something different. If done with care, you can change the course of the art you make for the better, discovering new things about yourself. This seems to be the case with the new album from Silver Snakes – Death and The Moon (Evil Ink Records). Silver Snakes broke on the scene as a progressive modern metal band with a lot of accolades. They hinted at a dynamic shift in style with the Scathe EP of industrial metal covers but now have fully gone over to the dark side, in the best way. By going back to formula and totally reinventing the essence of the band, Silver Snakes have taken a level of risk few established bands would ever consider. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Evil Ink Records
Silver Snakes Share New Lyric Video, New Album “Death and the Moon” in May
Silver Snakes are coming back with a new album, Death and the Moon, via Evil Ink Records. The first single and lyric video, directed by Cloaking.us, entitled ‘Smokedance’ live right now! Catch the band on tour with Combichrist now.Continue reading
Silver Snakes – Saboteur
It’s always fun to get an album that defies not only your expectations but also easy definition. Saboteur [Evil Ink Records founded by Coheed & Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez], the third album from California crew Silver Snakes, features a very nondescript cover that reveals little more than the title of the record and the name of the band, but inside is 50 odd minutes of heavy rock well worth delving into.
Much likes previous outings, Saboteur is a trip across the whole spectrum of alt rock. But compared to 2014’s Year of the Snake [Bridge9], this album feels more self-assured. Each song has its own style: sometimes grungy (‘Raindance’), sometimes punky (‘Electricity’) sometimes even inching towards industrial (the atmospheric ‘Glass’ or stomping ‘Charmer’).
Though there’s a range of styles and calls to mind any number of 90s bands – Nine Inch Nails most of all – but bring everything together nicely into one package. Frontman Alex Estrada shows off an impressive range of vocal abilities both heavy and emotive (but without ever straying into whiny territory).
Short and simple rockers sit amongst longer, more adventurous pieces, all broken up with brief instrumental reprieves, and there are plenty of left turns even within the songs. The seven-minute ‘Devotion’ is a mashup of hardcore sludge and ethereal jamming, while ‘Dresden’ strays into heavy psychedelica before slamming down some crushing post-metal riffs.
Saboteur is a hard record to pin down. For sure an upgrade on previous efforts, it jumps confidently in style and tone at a moment’s notice without compromising on quality or cohesion. Adventurous, energetic and interesting.
8.0/10
DAN SWINHOE
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Periphery, Wovenwar, Nothing More and Thank You Scientist Book North American Tour
Periphery, Nothing More, Wovenwar and Thank You Scientist will be venturing on a North American tour in January.
NOTHING MORE w/ Periphery, Wovenwar & Thank You Scientist
Jan 10: Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
Jan 11: The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
Jan 12: The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
Jan 13: The Orpheum – Ybor City, FL
Jan 14: Revolution – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Jan 16: House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
Jan 17: House of Blues – Houston, TX
Jan 18: House of Blues – Dallas, TX
Jan 20: Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
Jan 21: Club Red – Tempe, AZ (Phoenix)
Jan 22: House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA (Los Angeles)
Jan 23: The Yost Theater – Santa Ana, CA (Anaheim)
Jan 26: The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
Jan 27: Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
Jan 28: El Corazon – Seattle, WA
Jan 30: In The Venue – Salt Lake City, UT
Jan 31: The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
Feb 02: Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN
Feb 03: House of Blues – Chicago, IL
Feb 04: St. Andrew’s Hall – Detroit, MI
Feb 06: The Opera House – Toronto, ON
Feb 07: Corona Theatre – Montreal, QC
Feb 08: Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY (Albany)
Feb 09: Waterstreet Music Hall – Rochester, NY
Feb 11: Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
Feb 13: The Fillmore – Silver Spring, MD
Feb 14: District N9ne – Philadelphia, PA