Album: Silent Planet - SUPERBLOOM [2023]

It's finally here! Two years after Iridescent, the album that grew on me so much to the point where I was in love with them, we have another Silent Planet album on our hands. SUPERBLOOM spawned from the band's experience with a car crash while on the road, one that was visceral enough to completely change their perspective and sound.

The singles for this album were insane. Antimatter, Collider and Anunnaki were all top tier cuts, and they kept :Signal: from last year as well, so I went into the album with pretty high expectations. Not going to lie, it was just a tiny bit underwhelming at first. I hadn't realised how much they shifted gears from their more technical releases to this more atmospheric one. On first listen, my brain was looking out for the tasty riffs and crazy vocals, which really wasn't the right thing to be looking for on this album. Eventually the album grew on me after listening to it enough where I realised what was the focus of the album.

SUPERBLOOM is, in some way, one of the most spiritual works they've made. Compared to the heavily anti-industrial and anti-war sentiments of their previous works, this is much more personal. They've taken their poetic sensibilities and channelled it into one of the rawest topics possible, the self, no doubt there's some really great lines in there.

Sonically, the album definitely traded off a bit of heaviness for melody, but it is a much welcome change. Garrett going for pure cleans on this album has been amazing to hear, and the focus on atmosphere and ambience fits the idea of the album really well. There's no shortage of heavy moments and screams, but it's a more diverse palette with more to offer as an album experience. The more prominent use of electronic elements also plays a big part, most notably on Antimatter, but they've done a great job of introducing this surreal feel to their songs with it.

I do want to argue that the non-singles were a bit underwhelming, compared to the singles. Even outside of the expectations of their sound based on their previous releases, the non-singles lack a bit of cohesiveness to them, something that feels a bit weird to hear from a band I've cherished for how complete and refined their songs feel. Offworlder's breakdown just keeps going without evolving, The Overgrowth doesn't hold any of its sections long enough and feels like an interlude, and two tracks are actual interludes. Weirdly enough, I feel like they would've benefited from lengthening those songs and letting the parts play out and evolve more. Nexus is alright but it doesn't feel the most Silent Planet-like. The title track is really the only non-single that I feel even matched the quality of the singles, and even that song ended a bit abruptly.

I kept thinking that I didn't really like the album because I kept leaving out the singles in my equation, but overall it's still a banger album by far. It's just that the non-singles didn't do as much for me as I hoped. I love that the band is heading in this direction though, Antimatter was perfect and a good sign for where they're headed with this new sound, it just needs a little more refinement and thought around the edges. And of course, I wouldn't complain if a bit of their technicality came back. Poetry-core is still on point, though.

Rating: 8/10

Tracklist:

1. Lights off the Lost Coast

2. Offworlder

3. Collider

4. Euphoria (feat. Alejandro Aranda)

5. Dreamwalker

6. Antimatter

7. :Signal:

8. Anunnaki

9. The Overgrowth

10. Nexus

11. Reentry

12. SUPERBLOOM

Lyric Of The Week 89: Collider

"The past is an open wound."

Silent Planet - Collider, from the album SUPERBLOOM

Song: Silent Planet - Collider [2023]

Silent Planet is two for two on bangers for this album cycle, with Collider possibly outdoing Antimatter and being one of their best songs, not just for this album, but ever. Collider sees the band take on familiar territory with a new energy, reprising many of their signature styles in new perspectives and showcasing one of their most exciting evolutions in sound yet.

Collider starts of with an instantly energetic intro, constant eighths and a very loud atmosphere, one that quickly tones down as the verse starts. Going bold with the electronic influences, Garrett sings calmly for just a few poetic bars before they flip back into heaviness. Punching straight in with a gnarly riff and gnarlier screams, it's a short but strong section.

The chorus, oh my. Garrett has finally shown his vocal prowess at full potential, with some amazing full-blown singing. Stellar vocal melodies, perfect vocal tone with the subtle grit, and paired with profound lyrics consistent to their music. The layering and ambience is as robust as you'd expect it to be coming from them, but it's always a wonder to experience the soundscapes that they build.

The second verse returns to the electronics but with a bit more of a suspenseful energy to it, skipping the heavy riff and going straight back to the chorus. By the way, the drumming underneath the verses are groovy and I love the dynamics of it. Anyways, they swing by the chorus quickly and we get to the breakdown in no time.

The buildup is short but succinct, quickly hyping up what's about to come. The low-tuned guitars start to show, the growls take their place, and we get hit with the same riff from before but somehow nastier. I have to mention by the way, the slow bends in that riff are disgustingly good, and reminiscent of thall.

There's a little bridge that's half-electronic and does the job getting to the final chorus, and the last chorus is nothing much new but still as fun. They bring back the back half of the breakdown without the vocals to end the song, but that's about all there is to it.

Antimatter and Collider together make me very excited for what's about to come, because it seems like Superbloom is going to be a whole different sound from Iridescent, going in many different directions without betraying the Silent Planet identity. I'm absolutely looking forward for the upcoming singles and album release, and I'm confident it'll end up high on my year end list.

Rating: 4.5/5

Song: Silent Planet - Antimatter [2023]

Silent Planet is back and they have switched up their game in bold fashion. Iridescent has been slowly growing on me ever since it dropped and has become one of my favourites of 2021, and this single beckons a new era of their sound that I think I will love even more.

The moment it starts, you can tell it's different. Rolling in with an electronic synth wobbling and techy beats, with Garrett's vocals in a processed and chill R&B-like texture, it's unlike anything they've done before, yet catchier than ever. The heavy instrumental that follows is exquisite, between tastefully simple chugs and a well-patterned synth melody, one that goes on to form the backbone of the chorus.

The verse that follows keeps the electronics but adds the band in, fully rocking. The production is amazing and the subtle scream vocal layer in the back is such a smart way to smoothly amp up the energy. Even the clean vocals get stronger and you can tell they're building up for something good.

They bring back the heavy refrain but shape it into a chorus, complete with their signature poetic lyricism and Garrett's amazing screams. The whole band sounds on point and this new sound feels fully realised with this moment, all the pieces of the soundscape in place. It's a really cool futuristic industrial metalcore sound that really sets itself apart from everything else right now.

There's this really great sounding intermission as they build up to the climax, which isn't really a breakdown but has a very familiar Silent Planet full-force anthemic punch to it. I love the ambient and atmospheric elements going all the way to the drop, the processed echo vocals and the main synth sound, and how seamlessly it blends with the band. When the drop hits, the lead line is epic, the lyrics are so unmistakably Silent Planet's, and the atmosphere is incredible. It's the kind of sound that only they can pull off to this degree, and I love that this section keeps the song from feeling too far out from their sound. The song ties up quite nicely, nothing new left to offer but running the chorus once more to seal the deal.

Antimatter is a surprising change from their sound, even compared to recent releases like :Signal: and Iridescent. It's another great genre-defying release that's perpetuating through the modern metal scene as of late, one that is highly appreciated and extremely exciting for both the band and us listeners. They've said online that the next album will be a variety of new sounds, which is setting high expectations, but I'm sure they'll hit the mark and go beyond. Until that happens, this is a banger and definitely going to be high on the 2023 list.

Rating: 4.5/5

Single: Silent Planet - :Signal: [2022]

I remember this single not really catching my attention when it first dropped. I hadn't yet grown to love their newest record, Iridescent, but after that happened, I did revisit this single and it did in fact sound a lot cooler than I remembered. I guess that once the Silent Planet sound clicked for me, it clicked for everything.

Between the great blend of sharp metalcore and great cyberlike atmosphere, it feels like they've already started on a path towards new sound, incorporating more electronics than they had before. The airy synths remind me a bit of Loathe, especially of their atmospheric work on I Let It In And It Took Everything or the entire The Things They Believe ambient record. The riffwork on this song is mostly simple yet very tasteful, whether it's the chug patterns, the slightly dissonant verse riff, the sync-ups with the vocals in the middle, or just the general modern metalcore finesse of it all. And if I haven't commended it enough, the electronic work and production on this song is stellar. The fast climbing arppeggio synths behind the first intermission is a fantastic piece of the soundscape, and so is the highly distorted vocals that play back-and-forth with the chug riff.

The breakdown is nothing too crazy or spectacular, but it definitely has that signature Silent Planet touch to it, and the second half with the spoken-word-esque line is interesting at the very least. I adore the quick cadence of the word "broken" as well, it's very satisfying to hear for some reason.

This song has all the makings of a great Silent Planet song, and even though it might not be a top 5 kind of track, it definitely deserves to be listened to. Their cynically poetic lyricism remains on point, their metalcore writing continues to be innovative and their understanding of musical intent has yet to falter. It's been long enough since the previous album, and I'm very excited for the next era of their music, especially since they've announced a new single and it looks like we're on track for a new album cycle to begin soon.

Rating: 4/5

Album: Silent Planet - Iridescent [2021]

It took me a long while to appreciate the hidden, beautiful intricacies of Iridescent. Silent Planet was a band I knew very little of, and when I first dipped my toes into the record, I wasn't even that familiar with the metalcore genre either. More than a year after it's release, and many attempts to sink into it, it finally clicked.

Iridescent first showed its sound to me with Trilogy. The main riff caught my eyes instantly, which I think it does for a lot of people, and there were some great moments throughout the track. After putting the album release on my radar, I promptly forgot about it until it came out, and didn't really get into it at the time. A few months later, after :Signal: released, I went back to Iridescent again and clicked with Second Sun, a song I now love a lot for it's bold melodies, emotional sound and lyrical profoundness. After that, the rest of the pieces started falling into place.

Nik Nocturnal called Silent Planet "poetry slam in the shape of breakdowns" in one of his videos, and I think it is a surprisingly valid perspective of the band. One of the many things about the band that I've grown to love is how poetic their lyrics are, complex but not pretentious, and always very intriguing, whether profound or rageful. That said, the other facets of the band's music are definitely on par as well. Their guitarwork and drumwork is full of impressive technicality, showcasing creative writing but also never compromising on listenability. The vocals are unbelievably capable and expressive, and at times surprising me with the cleans.

When it comes to metalcore, they actually have an impressive diversity of sound to offer. Brutal breakdowns, intense riffage, emotional ballads, raw spoken word sections, atmospheric interludes, vivid ambiences, mathcore moments, and through it all the band never compromises on musical quality and creative intent. The record has some amount of experimentation but it is nowhere near gimmicky, and a prime example of this is Panopticon, a song that doesn't feature guitars at all and puts the bass front and center, and manages to remain a solid banger on the tracklist.

Iridescent is an amazing metalcore record, no doubt, but it is a first for me when it comes to seeing so much legitimate poetic intent in modern metal. I'm extremely glad I didn't give up on the record before it clicked for me, it has now become one of my favourites of 2021, largely for it's lyricism and emotional range. Silent Planet is, strangely enough, a band I never knew I needed in my life.

Rating: 9/10

Tracklist:

1. 112

2. Translate the Night

3. Trilogy

4. Second Sun

5. Panopticon

6. The Sound of Sleep

7. Alive, as a Housefire

8. Terminal

9. (liminal);

10. Anhedonia

11. Till We Have Faces

12. Iridescent

Lyric Of The Week 45: The Sound of Sleep

"As if more blood could stop the bleeding."

Silent Planet - The Sound of Sleep, from the album Iridescent

Lyric Of The Week 38: Trilogy

"I watched you watch me disappear."

Silent Planet - Trilogy, from the album Iridescent

Lyric Of The Week 35: Second Sun

"So stay and count the ghosts with me, 'cause they might haunt, but they won't bleed."

Silent Planet - Second Sun, from the album Iridescent