On disc: Silent Force

 
 The Empire Of Future
 
- Amir Djawadi -
 
 


 
 The Empire Of Future
 
- Katja Henning -
 
 


 
 Infatuator
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 Infatuator
 
- Volker Raabe -
 
 


 
 Worlds Apart
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 Rising From Ashes
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 

Rising From Ashes

(AFM Records - 2013)



 
 

 

It's been 6 years since Silent Force last album Walk The Earth, but mastermind Alex Beyrodt was busy. Now he is back with a new band, only drummer André Hilgers is part of the band from the beginning. New on board are bassist Mat Sinner, keyboarder Alessandro Del Vecchio and singer Michael Bormann. Bormann, who replaced DC Cooper, was a member of The Sygnet, the predecessor of Silent Force. And so Silent Force is Rising From Ashes.



The opener Caught In Their Wicked Game is a riff-based up-tempo with neo-classical elements. After the power metal-like opener they get back to melodic metal with There Ain't No Justice - the more rock-based tunes fit better to Michael Bormann's voice. Circle Of Trust is a catchy one which combines power and melodic, an ear catcher!











A melancholy edge has Living To Die while Turn Me Loose is a melange of 70's hard rock and melodic metal - and one of my favorites on Rising From Ashes. They speed up for Born To Be A Fighter, but they never forget to add some catchy hooks. The closer Kiss Of Death is another catchy tune which you'll soon will start to sing along.



Some might miss DC Cooper, but if you are open-minded then the new Silent Force should win you over. Once again Alex Beyrodt and his mates present a great album! Enjoy it!



 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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Worlds Apart

(Sanctuary Records - 2004)



 
 

 

This is the 3rd album of the German band with the charismatic American singer DC Cooper. Their last album Infactuator was released in 2001 and after a tour they kinda vanished. They open up with Ride The Storm which starts with unusual sounds, then develop into an up-tempo epic tune. This fast one will be a highlight of their live set, coz it has all the essentials. This is a good song to check them out, coz it has all the sound elements the quintet wove into their songs. Followed by another fast one - No One Lives Forever - which is guitar-driven and DC uses his large vocal range to complete the song. Another guitar-driven song is Master Of My Destiny where it's obvious that guitarist and mastermind Alex Beyrodt is influenced by Yngwie Malmsteen. But this isn't just a Malmsteen-like track! Just it's more obvious then on other tracks, but without the André Hilgers (drums) and Jürgen Steinmetz (bass) it wouldn't work, coz they deliver the basis for his guitar play. With Hold On they slow down a little - an epic mid-tempo tune - where are reminiscences to oriental music, at least in DC's melody lines. Big choirs put you back to the late 80's / early 90's were melodic metal bands had to have this mighty backing vocals. A very intense song which starts with screaming guitar riffs is Heroes which is dedicated to the firefighters - and policemen - who lost their lives at September, 11th 2001 and their colleagues who survived the inferno. But Silent Forces didn't do a ballad as homage, they preferred a fast track. Complex parts and tempi changes give the song a progressive touch. The ballad Spread Your Wings is opened up with some words of DC's little son. Here they reduced the music to the basics - vocals, guitar and keyboards - then the rest of the band joins in. This isn't one of the cheesy ballads you sometimes here, this one lives from the reduction and the fantastic voice of DC who once more shows that he's an outstanding singer. A contrast builds Iron Hand where the five-piece work in the beginning with electronic sounds, but soon this one develops the Silent Force sound. At the end you find the title track which is another up-tempo tune. This time based on heavy drums, pumping bass and guitar riffing. During the fast parts the fast double bass drum is forcing the band to a more aggressive way, but the keyboard melody lines and the vocals make this one softer. But there are also slower parts which are dominated by DC's words. This is another good choice to check the album out, but don't forget to check out Heroes and Spread Your Wings!
 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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Infatuator

(Massacre Records - 2001)



 
 

 

Their debut The Empire Strikes Back was a decent debut, now the second album of German-American alliance is in the stores.... Infactuator is a huge step forward for the quintet. The title track is a hard, fast rock song which could have been on Judas Priest's Painkiller album. But don't expect more Judas Priest kinda songs, but the fast melodic metal is their musical home, even if there are parts where they slow down a little. But there is a Judas Priest cover version and All Guns Blazing shows that D.C. Cooper could have be the successor of Rob Halford. Anyway, singer D.C. Cooper seems to feel more comfortable now than in his past with Royal Hunt. A song like Hear Me Calling proofs the high quality level of the band and that the mainmen Alex and D.C. will soon enter the premier league of melodic power metal. The songs vary and the album offers details even after several spins. We Must Use The Power will soon become part of their live show, this anthem-type of song probably present best what Silent Force it about. On World Aflame they use some oriental sounds, a more epic song which has a certain magic which enchants the listener. With In My Arms they have also a ballad on the album, but not a bombastic one which many might expect, it's a more simple song which become alive by D.C. voice and the female counterpart as well as through Alex Beyrodt's guitar.

Not to forget the trilogy which starts a little Wagner-ish kinda intro, but then Gladiator comes straight to you, a song which has sing along parts, parts which remind me of Gamma Ray as well as some fast parts which have the typical Silent Force sound.

As a kind of bonus there is an Mpeg video of See Beyond on the album which shows the band off stage e.g in the nightliner and on stage which gives you an idea what to expect live from the quintet.
 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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Infatuator

(Massacre Records - 2001)



 
 

 

The band of guitarist Alex Beyrodt and former Royal Hunt singer D.C. Cooper present themselves on Infatuator heavier and faster then on their debut. Just listen to killer tracks like Fall Into Oblivion, Promised Land and the title track Infatuator and you what metal is about! The song writing and production are better then on their debut and if they can continue this development on the next album... Well, then they will make it to the same level - musically and from the popularity - then Sinner. Btw, what's you main band and what's the side-project. Mr. Beyrodt?
 
 










Volker Raabe
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)


  
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The Empire Of Future

(Massacre Records - 2000)



 
 

 

New projects of known musicians are nothing new or rare in the German music scene, but if they release something which is that good then you shouldn't turn it down. Silent Force is the band of Sinner guitarist Alex Beyrodt and Royal Hunt singer D.C. Cooper. They were joined by André Hilgers on drums, Torsten Röhre on keyboards and the man on the bass is called Fleisch - guess not a veg. It's not that this quintet need a helping hand of other talented musicians, but they get supported on this album by Vanden Plas keyboarder Günter Werno and Pink Cream 69 vocalist David Readman.

The result of this cooperation are 10 songs which presents graceful melodies with a lot of power. Hammering drums, pounding bass, moving guitars with filigree solos and sonorous keyboards which surround the pregnant voice of a high class shouter. Mr. Beyrodt himself took care of the production and got a helping hand by Pink Cream 69 bassist Dennis Ward for the production of this piece of German metal.

So, this is about 50 min. of music which isn't 100% innovative and new, but this can fit to hold a candle to most of the CDs which get in the stores these days. If you like melodic metal with high pitch vocals, then listen to this one!
 
 










Amir Djawadi
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)


  
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The Empire Of Future

(Massacre Records - 2000)



 
 

 

Silent Force playing that what you can call good power metal. The band is mainly from Germany. Beside Alex Beyroth (Sinner / Primal Fear) and DC Cooper (Ex-Royal Hunt) there are Fleisch (Ex-Beladonna) on bass and Andre Hilgers (Ex-The Sygnet) on drums. The album starts with a dark, mystic intro, before the guys really get going. Saints And Sinner and Tell Me Why are songs which get straight into the ear. And by Six Past The Hour I thought it would be a ballad or a slow piano intro  - but I shouldn't think! Only the 10th song is a ballad where DC Cooper's voice is accompanied by a female voice - it really suits this song. The prodction is very good and the guitar parts are very powerful. All in all it's a mixture of Sinner and Royal Hunt, but a bit more of Royal Hunt.
 
 










Katja Henning
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)

  
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