Weeping Silence – “Theatre of Life” (2011)

Label : Ravenheart Records

Review by Tony Cannella

From Malta, Weeping Silence first formed way back in 1995. In 2008 they released their full-length debut titled “End of an Era” which was followed in 2009 with a 4-song promo CD. Now the band returns with their sophomore effort dubbed “Theatre of Life” and to say that this band is really starting to come into their own is an understatement. Musically, “Theatre of Life” hones Weeping Silence’s Symphonic Gothic metal style and sees them take what has begun on their 2008 debut to the next level. Also taken to the next level is their songwriting, which continues to grow and flourish. Although there are only 8-songs on “Theatre of Life”, the whole thing clocks in at a healthy 47-minutes, and while musically there are some dirge-like moments, there are also times when the band speeds up the tempo a bit, often times throughout the course of the same song, (the excellent “Within White Walls” is a perfect example of this). Lead vocalist Rachel Grech continues to establish herself as one of the unheralded voices in the Femme Metal genre and she is only getting better. The title song “Theatre of Life” is one of my favorites and it features a choir on the chorus that definitely gives it a ‘theatre’ vibe and highlights the huge-ness of the song (this track also features a cool solo at the end of the song). The track “Season’s Journey” begins as a ballad before the heavy riffs comes crashing in. Still this is a slower song tempo-wise and singer Rachel does another great job on this one, at times she kind of reminds me of Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation, but only at certain moments. Fans who were lucky to snatch up their 4-song 2009 promo CD will notice that those four songs appear here in re-recorded form. The whole thing is pretty consistent throughout starting with the opening duo of “Of Light and Shadow” and “Dark Waters” and concluding with the 7 and a half minute finale “Innocent Cries”. The band also manages to work in choirs and symphonic parts to go along with the heavy doom style riffs. How Weeping Silence has managed to fly under-the-radar these last few years is beyond me. Hopefully with the help of “Theatre of Life”, this is one band that will not go unnoticed for much longer. They have the talent and skill to really make a mark in the metal world.

Rating – 92/100

Tracklist

1. Of Light and Shadow
2. Dark Waters
3. Within White Walls
4. Theatre of Life
5. Season’s Journey
6. Promises Broken
7. Monuments
8. Innocent Cries

Line Up

• Rachel Grech – Vocals
• Mario Ellul – Guitars
• Manuel Spiteri – Guitars
• Allison Ellul – Keyboards
• Sean Pollacco – Bass
• Angelo Zammit – Drums

Links

MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Site