POSTHUMOUS SILENCE

I must say I was looking forward to Sylvan's new album after the somewhat disappointing "X-rayed" I was hoping they could repeat some of the greatness of "Artificial Paradise". Especially when I read on their website that "Posthumous Silence" was going to be their first concept album in the same style as Marillion's "Brave" and IQ's "Subterranean"! (Two of my favourite neo-prog-rock albums of the last twenty years).

So I decided to pre-order "Posthumous Silence" immediately from the "Sylvan shop" and without any regrets. This album needs some time to settle in, but after spinning it minimum ten times in my CD-player I think I'm ready to post my review on this album. Let me take you through this album track by track:

1. Eternity Ends

Theatrical opening of just over two minutes really makes you wonder on which journey the music is going to take you.

2. Bequest of Tears

Piece I of the concept album starts here. Beautiful opening by soft piano and soft voice of Marco Glühmann. The end of this song really builds up to the beginning of the next track: In Chains.

3. In Chains

In Chains starts by heavy guitar riffs and Marco's vocals coming up to speed and volume. Quite heavy chorus with a lot of emotion in his voice followed by a bridge leading in to the next chorus. After the second chorus there's a small guitar solo that remembers me a little of the middle section of Porcupine Tree's "Arriving somewhere but not here". The middle section of this track is somewhat softer: softer vocals and dreamy keyboards followed by a wonderful guitar-solo. At the end of the track Marco seems to be rapping rather than singing followed again by the heavy guitar riffs. This track is just over 8 minutes long.

4. Bitter Symphony

This is where piece II of the concept album starts. Melancholic intro with soft vocals of Marco leading into the next track "Pane of truth".

5. Pane of Truth

Somewhat softer track on this album with beautiful piano, great vocals and TV or radio broadcast on the background from time to time. Soft middle section followed by a warm guitar solo at five and a half minutes. Theatrical and bombastic ending. All together a wonderful song.

6. No Earthly Reason

Part III of the concept kicks off again started by soft piano and soft vocals. Again this song builds up to the next track.

7. Forgotten Virtue

Starting with similar guitar riffs as in "In Chains". I'm afraid the chorus is not to every ones taste. The singing seems more like shouting and seems a bit "over the top". The more peaceful and melancholic middle section saves this song, but certainly not my favourite album track.

8. The Colours Changed

Soft piano intro with again the soft vocals of Marco. Great melancholic chorus! This is the Sylvan that reminds me of "Artificial Paradise"! Definitely a strong piece of music!

9. A Sad Sympathy

Part IV of the concept album. Again nothing more (or less) than a theatrical prelude of the following track.

10. Questions

This track and the following track really combine well. "Questions" is already good, but "Answer to Life" is even better! Great melancholic chorus once again sung very beautifully and from around four minutes there's a wonderful instrumental part that keeps haunting you. This is why people like me enjoy Sylvan so much!

11. Answer to Life

I would almost say: "don't start by listening to this track, because you'll be spoiled and won't like the other tracks anymore" ;-) Soft instrumental intro followed by "crying" guitar. Nice bridge by vocals leading into great chorus with a very strong melody that will haunt you for days. This track has it all! WOW! Definitely 5 stars for this track!

12. Message from the past

Final part (Part V) of Posthumous Silence. With a track time of exactly three minutes and containing vocals as well this track is a bit more than just a prelude. This is a nice and soft track all by itself but overflowing in the following track again.

13. The Last Embrace

A bit of Marco's "rapping and shouting" is returning in this track. The lyrics say "shout it out" and that is literally what Marco's doing! Okay, it's shouting, but with a lot of temper and emotion in his voice, so actually not bad at all, even though it won't be everybody's taste.

14. A Kind of Eden

After the shouting on "The Last Embrace" you will have some time to lay back and relax again. Somewhat softer track, pretty nice, but definitely not the masterpiece of this album. Because that would probably be "Answer to Life" or:

15. Posthumous Silence

It's not a coincidence that this is the title track of the album and that Sylvan decided to put a "teaser" on their website containing a partition of this track! This preview on the album made me decide to order it immediately. This track, once again, has it all! Great dreamy instrumental parts and great vocals and the best guitar solo that's on this album! The chorus part "Lost and forgotten." will be haunting you for days.

Too bad when just over seventy minutes of listening and enjoying this album are over. But fortunately there's a "repeat button" on most CD / DVD players ;-)

My personal rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. Excellent addition to any prog music collection