SILENT FALL – Otherwise

Right before changing their name to Silent Fall, after being called Winterland, the members of the band made their final adjustments on their debut album, Otherwise. Generally, this French band sounds just like any other Heavy/Power Metal band filled with melodies and speedy sections. In spite of that, their Otherwise has much to recommend besides regularity of yet another EU Metal release.

Hidden within Silent Fall’s softness there is a concealed side of a secret monster. Within this double persona lies a diverse form that has taken the music to a higher level of significance. Silent Fall, in addition to their Heavy/Power Metal madness, also seemed to have various affiliations like Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, some bits of a slight Pop-ish posture.

Bands that come to mind while listening to the ways of Silent Fall are mid-era In Flames, Edguy and Gamma Ray. When it comes to being catchy, Silent Fall takes the first prize (Especially with a talented vocalist as they possess), they really know how to formulate their songs so that they will cling to one’s memory. Furthermore, their melodies are supremely played and written with a great effort.

In order to keep on smoldering you with supplementary melodies, Silent Fall has wonderful keyboard lines. These lines have an important role, as it is to back up the chunky guitars (the second melodic drivers) and act as a leading instrument. Other than the traditional verses of Power Metal, there are also various electronic attributes, percussion, acoustics, additional female vocals (however they are much weaker than the lead vocalist) that serves as a joint force for a lovely duet and several amazing lines that display musical progressiveness and diversity (talk about some unusual beats, you have it all here).

As for the band’s material on Otherwise, it’s almost no different from stuff you would find on a European Heavy/Power Metal album. However, it isn’t connected in any way to legends or medieval eras. Silent Fall, may discuss fictional realities, yet, they are all about the person itself and the actual discussion one loves and adores (most of the people at least) is loose as a bird on their lawn.

Finally, there are the tracks of Otherwise for the nibbling. First the ballads, both existing ones are good… “This Could Have Been” and “One Cold Winter Nights”. The latter has amazing drumming, which shows the quality of the drummer.

Second, there are the catchy speedsters such as “Tears Of Fate”, “Forever And After”, “Kill For Life” and the harmonious “Haunted Sights”.

Third, coming forth to be classics, are the Heavy Metal likes of “Who Is The Fool?” (also check out a black-ish version of the track if you are so lucky to come across the bonus version of the album), and “I Wish”. Last of the good ones is the combo of them all, a true Gamma Ray like track – “On The Top Of The World”, this track is truly a top notch killer.

Otherwise is a very good album by a rather new band, a must have for the Metalhead who admires great melodies and catchy hooks!