TWILIGHT FURIES

Swedish band VIOLENT SILENCE have been a going entity since the late 1990's, and since they released their first studio album in 2003 a total of four albums have been issued by the band. "Twilight Furies" is their most recent production, and was released through local Swedish label Open Mind Records in the late fall season of 2020.

The very best parts of "Twilight Furies" are amazing, fantastic and brilliant. The manner in which multiple keyboards with and without rhythm functions combines with bass, drums and percussion can at times be breathtaking, and while at times starkly different in scope and approach the particular retro-oriented sound explored on this album makes me think of recent US symphonic progressive rock band The Psychedelic Ensemble, for those who are aware of that project. While the vocals are a clear weak point of this production, those who know, love and treasure retro-oriented progressive rock with keyboards as the main instrument and clear connections to symphonic progressive rock as a specific style orientation will find a lot to cherish on "Twilight Furies". And if you in addition love strong rhythms work in general and percussion in particular, I do suspect that you'll find this album to be well worth your time.

Violent Science is made up of Johan Hedman, on keyboards, percussion, and backing vocals; Erik Forsberg, on lead vocals; Hannes Ljunghall, on keyboards and Simon Svensson on bass. The band has released three prior too Twilight Furies. A Broken Truce (2013), Kinetic (2005); and their self-titled debut (2003). Since I do not know the previous albums, I don't compare them either.

Twilight Furies is a real keyboard album, but in a completely different sense than you would initially assume. This was a pleasant surprise, as I thought it was going to be something completely different. Twilight Furies opens with a keyboard intro called Fair Warning. Which reminded me a lot of Marillion. Lunar Sunrise contains Erik Forsberg's best vocals. But it is still the unique and complex keyboards that fascinate your ears. One of the best songs on the album and reminds me a lot of Camel. In the final two-minute Perilous Borders (another outstanding track) they show that they can also be relaxed and beautiful, with a subtle Mellotron background.

Personally, I think there is room for some much-needed aggression on the album. This is where vocalist Forsberg shines. The rougher side of his voice brings a kind of conflict with it at times, where the slightly off-key singing brings a layer of mildly unsettling originality.

Twilight Furies benefits from repeated listens to be able to start connecting with its true emotional core.

Rating-70%

Recommended Tracks: Lunar Sunrise & Perilous Borders.

Review #1

There are always two kinds of albums - the kind where after the first listen you already say that the music on the album sounds good, and the other kind where the music on the album can only be fully grasped after multiple listens. It is exactly to this second group that the new album by Violent Silence belongs. One thing is certain: this is undoubtedly an excellent album, because there is so much more going on here than one might initially suspect.

The star of the album is clearly Johan Hedman. His way of playing the keys is completely unique with regard to the progressive rock spectrum. Due to the fact that there is no guitarist in the band, Hedman gives his keyboards a special role in the tracks. They accompany the basic mood, break with expected twists and turns, and in turn shine in places where you wouldn't expect it. Hedman's trademark is the sometimes enormously complex polyrhythms, coupled with very multi-layered songwriting (which encompasses moods ranging from melancholy fragile to hectic and restless) and a sense for the right moment to keep the music together. And if you think now that Johan Hedman is already doing enough with his keyboards, you might be surprised to hear that he also recorded all the drum tracks. Maybe this is the reason why the rhythmic parts are so well coordinated. However, it is certain that he is also a talented drummer who gives his music the right heartbeat.

Another striking component in the music is the singer Erik Forsberg. If you don't take time to listen to the album, you might say Forsberg is the weak point of the album. I will say, however, that Forsberg's vocal contributions create refreshing contrasts in the music that are not usually found on progressive rock albums. With his deep, raspy, but also very interesting voice, "Twilight Furies" is given a distinct musical identity, which is maintained until the end of the album.

In the end, the new album of "Violent Silence" deserves some patience at the beginning - because only then you realize what perfection, what musicality and what talent is behind everything. For fans of keyboard-oriented prog music, this album is definitely a must!