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Silhouette - Moods CD (album) cover

MOODS

Silhouette

Neo-Prog


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b_olariu
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars After a promising debute album in 2007 Silhouette return in 2009 with a second album named Moods, this time not a self release anymore, they issued the album at Progress Records. A much better album then the predecesor, the ideas, whole attitude of the album is quite great and for sure a very enjoyble neo prog release with some symphonic elements here and there. The instrumentation parts, the vocal is pleasing most of the time, Brian de Graeve shows now a more confident atitude in his vocal department, giving some excellent vocal parts on all album. In my opinion, Moods is a good album towards great, the album needs to be discoverd only if for Concert hangover, the opening track or the longest pieces of the album Unreal meeting, great tune with some spectacular instrumental parts and great keybords arrangements. The album overall not realy shine as other labums from this genre, but as a whole is a great album that offer some quite great and realy intristing parts.The piece Moods taken from the album name is a instrumental piece with nice piano over some good synth elements, enjoyble track for sure. So, a good album, better in anyway then the predecesor, more uptempo, with more vein, I will go with 4 stars this time, maybe 3.5 rounded to 4. Ending saying that this is one that neo-prog-heads may well enjoy, but not many other fans, will find a solid release after all. Not recommended even is 4 stars, but pleasent most of the time. Similar with another dutch neo prog band US or Cliffhanger.
Report this review (#335223)
Posted Friday, November 26, 2010 | Review Permalink
apps79
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Despite a limited budget ''A maze'' ended up to be in the top list of several prog listeners regarding the 07' releases and by the end of the year the band had already started rehearsing material for a new album.''Moods'' was based on an autobiographical story of Brian de Graeve, the recordings lasted for more than 18 months, most part of which took place at The Avenue Soundstudio in Utrecht with Knight Area's Gerben Klazinga as the producer.During this period Silhouette got to know Aldo Adema, formerly of Egdon Heath and at the time a member of Seven Day Hunt, who contributed guitar duties in a couple of pieces.The album came out in 2009 with Progress Records approaching and finally signing the band.

The band had made a slight switch towards a more symphonic sound with this album, which holds typical similarities with other releases from the Dutch music industry such as KNIGHT AREA, FLAMBOROUGH HEAD, ODYSSICE and ICE.Passionate material overall, which is now characterized by excellent and inspirational songwriting, the extended time in the studio had only good effects on the band's style and sound.The music is brilliant to say the least with obvious GENESIS, MARILLION, ARENA and PENDRAGON influences, containing dramatic keyboard orchestrations, flashy and neurotic synth soloing and elaborate guitar work over a manifest of refined and clean singing.But it turns out that Silhouette had decided to add a retro feeling to their modern and fresh sound, thus there are some fair doses of Mellotrons and organs among the soaring keyboard deliveries.While there are not many points separating them from the mass of recent Neo Prog bands, Silhouette stand out with the bunch of beautiful melodies, impressive singing lines and balanced keyboard washing, completing series of convincing pieces with some killer instrumental passages and always highlighted by a warm place for symphonic orchestrations.You've got to love this work, cause there are almost 80 minutes of music in here and you'll hardly find any dead holes.Their ability to offer striking electric rhythms, lush keyboard lines and pompous textures is trully impressive and the result is often outstanding.

First-class Neo Prog by a band on the rise.Among the top albums of 2009 and an excellent addition for both Neo Prog fans and Sympho maniacs.Highly recommended.

Report this review (#1321021)
Posted Sunday, December 7, 2014 | Review Permalink
5 stars Despite the extensive availability of highly produced quality prog rock online. Silhouette is definitely the modern band whose albums I've been returning to the most recently. The reason is chiefly that people in this band are hands down today's best masters of melody. For quite some time, main trend in English-language prog-rock has been the one of atmospheric, moderately-paced, comfortable music, often alternating metallic riffs and spaciness (Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Riverside, Gazpacho, Airbag and the list goes on and on...) - Silhouette do not play by these rules!

Coming from Netherlands, they are a part of local prog scene that cherishes the melodic approach (Knight Area, Odyssice, Ixion, Trion etc.), but Silhouette takes it to yet higher level. The potential of their previous album ("A Maze") was largely brought down by downright bad sound quality, but on "Moods" equipment is much better so sound can hold itself together. Wisely engineered by Gerben Klazinga (of "Knight Area") sound is very fragile and it gives the special charm to this kind of melodic neo-prog. In these circumstances, music can fall apart if it's not backed with excellent melodies (like it happened to a lot of 80s English neo-prog), but this album holds it together thoughout the album by this magical beauty.

I can't really pick up any highlights here, because it all is excellent and catchy, but let's showcase "Far Away" - starting seemingly straight-ahead, but then diversified by various keyboard moods (no pun intended, honestly). with beautiful verse followed by super-catchy chorus and the keyboard runs of enormous beauty. The vocal department is not a best side of this music, but singers (and there are a couple) do their best, still maintaining a charming naivety.

To sum it up, this is a band that doesn't have any trick up their sleeve to make music appear better than it is. "Mood" is the album that calls every card, coming out as a winner every time. A certain triumph of imagination, dare I say. 5 stars of course - the world needs more of it.

Report this review (#1372849)
Posted Wednesday, February 25, 2015 | Review Permalink
3 stars "TRIPLE DUTCH : PART TWO"

This acclaimed Dutch four piece formation is rooted in 2005, between 2006 and 2007 they have released five studio- albums, their latest effort is The World Is Flat And Other Alternative Facts from 2017 (and considered as their best one). In that year Silhouette also recorded a live CD. This review is about their second effort entitled Moods, after touring with other Dutch progrock band Knight Area their keyboard player Gerben Klazinga did the mixing and mastering.

Silhouette have worked a while on this second album (from 2009), after their debut CD A-Maze from 2006. That effort has paid off with a wonderful sound and 12 tastefully arranged compositions, alternating between 24-carat symphonic rock (Genesis) and neo-prog (IQ and early Marillion). Keyboard player Erik Laan has an important role with his vintage keyboard sound, he colours the tracks very beautifully, from violin- and choir Mellotron eruptions to fluent Minimoog flights and lush Hammond organ waves.

In general I enjoyed listening to this album because of the pleasant shifting moods (from dreamy with twanging acoustic guitar to bombastic with majestic choir-Melltoron), the use of acoustic guitar (the distinctive Ovation) in some songs, the strong work on keyboards and guitar and the fine build-ups and grand finales in the longer compositions. Silhouette often reminds me of other Dutch progrock bands Mangrove and Knight Area, this is also very pleasant music that will please the symphomaniacs and neo-progheads.

My rating: 3,5 star.

Report this review (#1953198)
Posted Sunday, July 29, 2018 | Review Permalink

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