PAATOS – Silence Of Another Kind

Silence Of Another Kind is Swedish band Paatos’ third album, and perhaps a tad heavier or harder compared to the other two. Still, this is Rock in the key of melancholy, and richly painted in shades of blue.

The Music

Somewhat influenced by Trip Hop, Paatos has developed an Art Rock expression far from Metal, but with enough heavy guitars and drums to possibly gain some admiration among fans of Hard Rock. There is an emotional depth in their music, which easily moves the listener (because you have to listen to this!). It is an escape from real life, however dwelling with real life issues like guilt, disappointment, and other cases of failure in human relationships.

Opening song “Shame” is quite intense, and some of that same intensity is found throughout the album, although the shape of it changes. For example, in the next song, the very laid back “Your Misery,” takes shape in a devastating melancholic vocal harmony during the verse.

“Falling” is perhaps more ordinary in shape, but it offers grand beauty and melody. Paatos plays around with sounds and noises in rhythmic patterns in the intro of “Still Standing,” just as they do in “Procession Of Fools” (a mere intermezzo within its few second duration) and the concluding “Silence Of Another Kind.” In both cases, the soundscape is in conjunction with the adjacent musical mood. However, it tends to become a bit disoriented and not always to the benefit of the music.

With “Is That All?,” Paatos goes from a dry and soft intro into a wide open and hard sound during the verse and chorus, respectively. Perhaps this is the most dynamic song, whereas “There Will Be No Miracles” is almost Pop-ish, still with quite a hard chorus.

The album grows naturally towards its peak in “Not A Sound,” which opens softly with strings in a gentle Waltz movement. The verse is quite straight, while the chorous is a release of the tension built up during the verse. Very neatly done! Joined by a saxophone after the second verse, the strings take a short instrumental turn before the concluding verse and the climax, as the full band brings on the finale.

The Band

Paatos revolves around the capable voice of Petronella Nettermalm. She sings with divine beauty and appropriate dynamics. In the occasionally heated ambiance of the band, she is more often a cool breeze: refreshing, but also penetrating. Along with Johan Wallén and Peter Nylander, she contributes with considerably good and well-balanced harmony or backing vocals.

The album is produced with a kind of richly reverberated and “grand” sound. Drummer Huxflux Nettermalm takes full advantage of this and presents the music in a wide panoramic view. One sometimes gets the feeling John Bonham is sitting on his shoulders, providing little keywords as to where to turn the lens next.

It is also of particular interest to note the contributions of guitarist Peter Nylander. His efforts are nothing but a scholar example of how to play electric guitar. Also, keyboardist Johan Wallén is worth noting and especially his Hammond organ efforts in “Falling”: simply brilliant…

The Verdict

Considering the time of the year (summer in Scandinavia), this album might seem a little out of place. The absence of Metal also makes it even more out of place for many Metal Express Radio readers. Still, it’s worth giving a chance … especially for those with a soft spot for melancholy and immense sadness.