POSTHUMOUS SILENCE - THE SHOW

I just watched this concert for the 3rd time and figured I would post a review of it. The show itself is of their wonderful album "Posthumous Silence." Sylvan is a very talented band and their sound is anything but retro. Although classified as neo prog, they have a modern sound which has evolved over their career and it is only getting better with each release. I am a huge fan of well done concert DVDs, the key words being "well done." I did not have the highest of aspirations when I first watched this only because Sylvan isn't exactly the most well known band, even in the prog genre. That usually translates to a lower end production of a DVD release...I couldn't have been more wrong!

This DVD is a top notch production and top notch all the way around. I was really blown away by it. The sound is fantastic, the visual effects during the show were incredible and the emotion of the music itself was outstanding! The band pulled out all the stops in making this concert experience immensely enjoyable, not only for those in attendance, but also for the video viewer. Marco Gluhmann is a fantastic lead vocalist and performer. His vocals are spot on and delivered with great control. The emotion conveyed by him really adds to the experience. All of the other band members were great as well. The keyboard player Volker Sohl stood out as the glue holding everything together while the David Crowder look alike drummer Matthias Harder seemed to have everything under control at all times. Apparently this was the first live performance of new guitarist Jan Petersen but I would have never known otherwise. And finally bassist Sebastian Harnack has that cool vibe as he plays the funky bass lines but not ever trying to steal the show.

I have yet to watch the special features with full attention but it looks as if they spent a lot of time getting everything ready for this show. The stage was custom made and they take you through all the time consuming details. For whatever lengths they went to, they should be pleased with the end result of this DVD. Awesome job by our German friends, VERY well done! Highly recommended to everyone, even if you are not familiar with Sylvan or this concept album. 5 stars for this DVD concert performance!