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Silent Winter – Empire of Sins

Florian Buechting Media Review No Comments

Silent Winter - Empire of Sins

Silent Winter - Empire of Sins
4.4

Rating

 4.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very good power metal album with versatile elements
  • Good instrumental skills and songwriting
  • Belinda Carlisle bonus track

I did not have Greek music for quite a while. The more I am glad that I received another sample of the interesting metal scene there: the band Silent Winter will release their new album “Empire of Sins” on Friday, 26th March 2021. Time for a review 🙂

 

Silent Winter – About The Artists

Silent Winter are a five member band from Volos in Greece. They were already founded in 1995, but after a breakup in 2001, it took them seventeen years to reunite. They came back with a six track EP, The War Is Here, which included a re-recording of their former song, Far Away. Since then, the band is very active. They also released a full (nine song) album in 2019, The Circles of Hell. There is only only one original member as of 1995 left – Kiriakos Balanos (guitar) was already active in the first phase of the band history. The band is completed by Mike Livas (vocals), Giannis Antonopoulos (drums), Vaggelis Papadimitrou (guitars) and Vaggelis Tsekouras (bass).

 

Silent Winter – Empire of Sins – Track by Track

The nine track album lasts 49 minutes. The album cover, by the way, is a reference to Belinda Carlisle’s Leave A Light On, which is covered in the bonus track of the album.

1. Gates Of Fire

The album starts with Gates Of Fire. I felt quite some relief when the guitars played their powerful riffs and the dummer hammered the drumheads. The first ten seconds rather felt like the intro to a David Hasselhoff dance remix than a metal album. Thereafter, Gates Of Fire is on fire. The drummer is doing a massive job, the guitars add the metallic pressure and Mike Livas then has an easy job to complete a very catchy and promising opener – even if there are few vocal weaknesses in this one here and there.

2. Wings Of Destiny

Wings Of Destiny is not noticably slower than the opener, but it feels a bit more nasty in the lyrics than the first song. I am also more happy with the vocal performance of Livas, who does a great job here. Powerful guitar play in the long instrumental parts add a lot of fun.

3. Shout

No surrender, screaming there’s no turning back
The arms are calling as the clouds turn black
The fading silence and the stench of war
Fight together, let the thunder roar
Shout, shout, shout, shout the battle cry

The song is beautiful power metal track. The song has a strong touch of Avantasia songs to me – maybe Silent Winter is a bit more going for screaming than for singing parts here. Overall, the song is nonetheless very melodic and a good listen.

4. Mirror

With an orchestra-alike background sound and even a choir, Mirror feels very majestic from the very beginning. The guitars take over the guiding theme of the song before it becmes a powerful blast for the headbangers’ guild. The chorus is massive and definitely reminds my of the Tobias Sammet superband:

Mirror say or mirror see
What is hidden inside me
A reflection of my fantasy
Will I rise or will I fall?
Will I lose or conquer it all?
Search within and you will see

5. Hunter’s Oath

The album becomes really epic now. Three of the four remaining songs exceed a duration of six minutes. Hunter’s Oath is the first one.

Hear the sound and join our hunt
Together we fight, divided we fall
As brothers in blood we live and we die
Bound by the Hunter’s oath

The song comes with a few atmospheric breaks, a lovely guitar solo – and just all what a power metal song of six minutes needs to be good.

6. Where The River Flows

Where The River Flows starts with a some one minute guitar solo, before it turns into a melancholic mood. One of the most impressive songs of the album to me.

7. Dragons Dance

The final two songs of the Empire Of Sins story (apart from the bonus tracks) have been released before the album. The super-fast Dragons Dance sounds a bit like 1980’s video game soundtracks at the very beginning.

Hear the call from the land of thunder
Raise your sword and take your chance
In the hills of eternal fire, where the Dragons dance
Hear the call from the land of thunder
Raise your sword and take your chance
In the hills of eternal fire, where the Dragons dance

With the chorus latest, the song becomes a catchy metal anthem you just need to keep in mind after listening.

8. Empire Of Sins

The title track of the album is also the closing track of the story and the longest song of the album. Listen to Silent Winter for additional 7:30 minutes, please. The song is mid-tempo and thus rather melodic and hymnic. The band has an amazing sound in these kind of tracks – and thus, Empire Of Sins is a worhy one to close the album. The Gregorian chant in the middle of the track has goosebump potential.

9. Leave a Light On (bonus track)

And here it is – the bonus track. Really nice version of the Belinda Carlisle classic – definitely enjoy to listen to this one as well.

 

Silent Winter – Empire of Sins – Spotify

Here is the Empire Of Sins on Spotify:

 

Silent Winter – Empire of Sins – My View

Indeed, there are some weaknesses on Empire Of Sins here and there. Sometimes, it is the vocal sides, but precise listeners but also find some minor issues. However, there are a lot of strong points opposed to it. The songs are awesome, the story of eight songs is a lovely set and the Belinda Carlisle tribute at the end gives just a wonderful bonus. The Greek are also really strong in presenting the stories and powering their songs with strings, keys and drums. Silent Winter did a really good job and thus deserved to be called a Flyctory.com Top Pick!.

 

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