CASUAL SILENCE

''Bad side memories'' showed a band with potential but also with evident flaws in its sound.Two years forward Casual Silence would return, this time with a 3-track, 20-min. EP, entitled ''Shamelessly dressed''.By the time they had added a sixth member in the line-up, keyboardist David Natali.

The obvious changes, soundwise speaking, become clear from the very first notes of the title-track, a piece lying somewhere between AOR/ballad stylings and Melodic/Heavy Rock with emphatic vocals and a grandiose atmosphere, based on smooth piano lines, dreamy synthesizer and some strong guitar solos.With '' Different silence'' they play some sort of DREAM THEATER-like Progressive Rock/Metal, featuring the high-pitched vocals of Rob Larrhoven and the punchy electric guitars of D'Armandville/Van Dijk, but the addition of some symphonic keys and the complex synth twists show that the band was heading towards the right direction.''Empty hands'' is a mix of the previous styles, clocking at 9 minutes and allowing the band to perform as many styles as possible.From dramatic Heavy Prog tunes with ethereal keyboards to scratching riffs, from lyrical moments to AOR-spiced choruses, from atmospheric soundscapes to rockin' solos.Another decent attempt by the band to enter more progressive realms.

Casual Silence had sweetened their sound a bit with the addition of keyboards, but their style remained a groovy Heavy Rock/Prog with dominant atmospheres.Well-developed and recommended step.

Originating from the city of Helmond in the Netherlands, Casual Silence were formed in 1993 with Ernst le cocq and Mark van Dijk on guitars, Igor Koopmans on drums, Eric Smits on bass, David Natali on keyboards and Rob Laarhoven as the main man behind the microphone.They debuted in 1997 with the album ''Bad side memories'', recorded at Soundwave Studios in Gemert and delivered as an independent release.

At this early point of their career Casual Silence were not only trying to find their own identity, but also struggled to perform a specific music style.Apparently following the trends of the Prog Metal rising wave and the comeback of Progressive Rock, their debut is somewhat split between Heavy Rock tunes in the style of AMON RA and TILES and a fiery, attacking Prog Metal along the lines of early FATES WARNING or German bands like JESTER'S MARCH and SECRECY, without though having the extreme technical delivery of any of these bands.Their sound can be either melodic with warm vocals and more doentempo guitar moves or very heavy and sharp with angular riffs and high-pitched vocals, but all tracks follow a standard song structure without any particular surprises or variations.To complete the picture, the band threw in a couple of AOR-sounding ballads in the album with amateur lyrics but also nice guitar parts.The presence of Natali makes no difference to the sound, as there is little contribution on keyboards, and the overall sound is led by the two guitarists and their generally propulsive riffs and solos.

The album is now long out of print, but the average Prog fan shouldn't get bother of purchasing it.''Bad side memories'' shows Casual Silence during their first steps with a pretty mediocre sound and an undefined style.Recommended only to fans of hard guitar-based Rock music...2.5 stars.

Casual Silence is back, and what an album they release this year, excellent. The band needed almost 4 years to come with a fresh new album , the previous one was from 2007, the album is entitled Vertical horizon and is one great album for sure. I have a soft spot for this band, after I've heared couple of years before 2 of their albums Once in ablue moon (still my fav CS album) and previous one Lost in life I was completly hooked on their music. This time is no diffrent, excellent new album, very strong musicians, great compositions, what else a realy great surprise, for me at least. This band needs to be more in front of the prog rock scene, but with sad thought I must say, that 2 days ago I've found that Casual Silence stops making new music after almost 20 years career, what a realy bad news was for me, damn. Why always great bands with excellent album must quit, but after all they know better then me what was the reson. So, what we have here, on this final album under the name of Casual Silence, who knowns maybe in the near future the musicians will gather under diffrent name, I hope, we have a very solid progressive rock album with all the ingredients to become one of the top of 2011, but I really doubt it , because I'm among the few who know this band, you can deduce from the numer of the ratings and reviews. The music offered is realy solid, excellent passages, very mature work, the musicians are very confident in their skils, lenghy pieces and above all some fine vocal lines. What is great aswell on this band and on this album specific is that Casula Silence has 3 vocalists, Ernst le Cocq who is also the guitar player, Eric Smits who is the bass player and main voice the brilliant Rob Laarhoven, why I mentioned this because all 3 voice are puted together in the title track , sounded very theatrical but so great, among the best pieces Casual Silence ever wrote, another highlight is the opening track The Other Side and last tune Dangerous Disguise. Lots of great guitar parts, hammong interluded like glove on hand with the rest of the musicians, very mature work who btw happened to be their swan song. I can't say this is their best album from their catalogue, in the entire career of almost 20 years they released only 4 studio albums, aan EP, a demo adn some acustical versions of known pieces from prog zone, not very musch, but in their case the quality is first not quantity, realy. What a great band and never got the attention they desaerve. Thsi album is for sure 4 stars for me, recommended. I still like better Once in ablue moon but this new album is second best for sure. Recommended as I said one of the best albums in last years and needed to be as on top as usch this year because they desearve.

Casual Silence is one of the progressive rock bands that I have a soft spot for their music. I reviewed so far two of their albums being quite impressed by music offered , I decided to review two more releases from their catalogue. This time, their EP from 1999 named Shamelessly Dressed. This littel album, because have only 3 pieces is a follow up after their debute album from 1997 and is a quite good rlease, even the production is bad in places, but the ideas are good for sure. From the beggining it was clear that Casual Silence has potential in this scene and the musicians involved bring among the most well performed rogressive rock from last decade, at least for me. This EP is a good one to see how the band was in their early years, but is not something realy special, only ok. The best piece is the last one, the longest Empty hands, 9 min of great prog with a touch of prog metal, but without sounding metal in the end. So this EP is more for the fans, because otherwise I don';t know someone intrested in , beside me. 3 stars, good but nothing realy special.

In his fifth studio album the Dutch band CASUAL SILENCE, presents us a work, that it is not brought splendorous moments of virtuosity In their 9 tracks, it presents, however, a lot of inspiration and competence in the form how it develops and it "arranges" the several instrumental and vocal themes that form each music . The influences that I could notice, although in a discreet way, it comes majority of the Norwegian band MAGIC PIE and in smaller proportion , some influences of the German band INÉS. the album in itself presents a balance without the presence of great "picks" or weak moments. Based on guitar duets , that alter between rhythm and solo , acoustics and electric, a rhythmic section that it presents some moments of subtileness and others of aggressiveness (that approximates the sound of the band of the Prog-metal), a keyboard with neo and symphonic-prog nuances and the captivating vocal of Rob Laarhoven, the disk is extremely pleasant for fans of several styles of progressive music (heavy, neo & prog metal). I highlight among other the tracks 3 "Vertical Horizon", for the interesting duel keyboards / eletric guitar. Track 4 "Now You're Gone " where there is a passage that begins by 2 min 36 sec, that reminded me a lot of MAGIC PIE . the track 5 " My 5th Season " a stylized ballad and full of energy, and the track 8 "Dangerous Disguise" where the band reaches the best moment of technical development in whole the disk. My rate is 4 stars!!!

Third studio album of this underrted dutch prog metal band, released in 2007 named Lost in life. This time Casula Silence changed the path and orientaed to a more mainstream aproach, but keeping the metal and progressive elements together. Not as good as the previous release, the band manage to create again a good album , in places very strong with solid instrumental passages like the instrumental piece Pieces of loss, realy fantastic guitar and keyboards arranagements. The band has n ore then 3 vocalist each one with his particular range, giving to the album a special atmosphere on each piece. Aswell a femal vocalist appears as backing on Lost in life and a guest vocalist, the famous Damian Wilson who proves once again he is top notch, having a great voice in prog metal zone. The music ia synphonic prog metal, but without that metalized sound, is more like on previous album towards the smoothness rrangemnts of this side of prog metal, with great interplays and good musicianship. All the pieces rea good, with a plus on the instrumental one Pieces of loss and Dress code. THis time I will give 3.5 rounded to 4, because is a fairly good album, but less consistent then Once in a blue moon, the previous album. For fans of Medea, Ayreon or in places Artension and Day Six. . Again a great cover art and inside booklet, made by the same man like on Once in a blue moon, Erwin Munsters. Great band this Casual Silence but very unnoticed by the larger public and for sure desearves more, their musical ideas are very strong and well played.

Casual Silence is a relativ young dutch band and fairly new in progressive metal scene, even they are together under this named since 1995. Over the years releasing some demos and a full lenght album in 1197, they didn't manage to get some attention only last decade with their second release from 2003 named Once in a blue moon. With this album Casual Silence grew a lot in musical terms and in manner of composing over their previous releases. Some of the songs from here were presented on some of the earlier demos but doesn't mean the album is old, contrary it sounds very fresh and damn solid IMO. The album sounds very consistent to my ears, very solid musicianship, excellent songewritting and catchy melodies. I was very pleasent surprised when I bought this album from Musea records along with their next one. I knew I will get something great because, here it features among others the excellent musician Henry Meeuws, also known from Medea (another great duch prog metal band), a band that I enjoyed very much , and aswell I reviewed their second album fiew months ago. So a good aqusition for me. The music Casual Silence offers is not the tipycal prog metal album, I mean is not a metalized album, is more towards the finess of this genre, and only here and there has a more metal edge. Overall the album is lighter more towards symphonic side of prog metal, very solid compositions, great ideas, very good are the keyboards played by the main man of the band Henry Meeuws who melted like gloves with the guitar arrangements, excellent played parts. Beside the great pieces, who by the way all are great , not a single weak moment, the sound is cristal clear, seriously it's pretty rae these days to here an album sounding so clean and so positive, superb is aswell the cover art made by Erwin Munsters. Here is aswell a guest , a female voice who is to be heared on Foolish plane, she alternates with male vocals giving a real solid piece. I will give 4 stars easy, one of the most complete prog metal albums I've heared lately, recommended for sure. While the band is still very unnoticed in prog circles, I strongly recommend to be heared this album because worth every second. Great

I thought it was a debut record of an obscure American band! Dunno why I had such feelings before listening to it, but when I checked the booklet and PA’s info about this band, it all has become less confusing :) To be short, CASUAL SILENCE is a mix of DREAM THEATER and their fellow countrymen WITHIN TEMPTATION. I’d call them Symphonic Power/Prog Metal, despite the fact that they’re not so metalish (rather heavy). Among album’s highlights are 10-min long “Memories” and (closing) “A Kiss or a Bite” epics. Sometimes music gets close to LA TULIPE NOIRE or ARRAKEEN (due to combination of female vocals with somewhat MARILLIONish atmosphere).

This is nice and enjoyable release that would definitely find its deserved recognition among mentioned bands’ lovers. Should this remark mean that others shouldn’t bother much? I’m afraid yes. But if you’re in the mood of getting something heavy yet emotional with female vocals from 2007 releases, get CASUAL SILENCE first.

I love this record very much, because I hear and feel a wonderful and fantastic mixture between Rock 'N' Metal Rhythm, melodic and symphonic waves and extraordinary good singing from the lead vocalist 'Rob Laarhoven' and the two second voices from 'Eric' and 'Ernst'. For folks, who like the melodic parts from DREAM THEATRE or the music from AYREON this record may give you great fun by hearing it. RECOMMENDED