Apocalypsis
Silver Nightmares
From their EPK, "Apocalypsis" is another concept album concerning the historical excursus of the human beings headed for a reckoning. The album has eleven songs, and "SapHiens" is the first. The main riff is energetic and the vocalist has some pipes. Keyboards play a pretty prominent role in this jovial jaunt of sorts. "Nefertiti" is a slower moving song with plenty of bombast from the guitars and keys. Sexy and sultry tones come seeping out. "Sea of Sikelia" is more of straightforward rocker. There are some light Progressive elements but they do not take the forefront on the album, and the keyboard parts need thickening up.
"Scorns of Time" is another slower song with a little pitch issues in the vocals. In my opinion, the band needs to stay away from these dragging tracks, because they hold the album back from reaching out. "Wizards, Witches and Sorcerers" is lighter offering with some nice harmonized vocals. But again, the band has to find a way to thicken up their sound. The minimal sonority is getting old quickly. "The Awakening" is a decent acoustical led jaunt. It's a fun song with lots of piano and funky tones. The lead guitar breaks are nice also. This was a welcome departure in the overall sound. "8" is a shorter song with trumpets, thumping bass notes, and some light rhythms. The harmonized vocals are decent as well.
"The Weird Black Cross" has sadder and more melancholic tones. But the lead vocals are just a bit pitchy, and the melody is also a bit hard to follow. Backing off the vocals might help somewhat. "Intangible" closes the album, with leading piano notes. The mood is somber, like someone deep in thought. I'm unsure where the song is heading, and it's a bit strange. Overall, this album didn't do much for me. Their musicianship as a group is decent, but the songwriting needs a good amount of work. One strange thing...the piano notes are really nice, but the keyboard parts are very one-dimensional. The album was also all over the place, with no discernable themes. This was just a strange listen for me.
5 / 10
Mediocre
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Apocalypsis" Track-listing:
1. SapHiens
2. Nefertiti
3. Etemenanki
4. Sea of Sikelia
5. Scorns of Time
6. Wizards, Witches and Sorcerers
7. The Awakening
8. 8
9. The Blue Light of a Star
10. The Weird Black Cross
11. Intangible
Silver Nightmares Lineup:
Michele Vitrano - Lead & Backing Vocals
Mimmo Garofalo - Acoustical, Classic, Lap Steel, Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Ukulele, Sitar
Emanuele Lo Giudice - Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Bass
Gabriele Esposito - Bass
Gabriele Taormina - Keyboards and Backing Vocals
Alessio Maddaloni - Drums and Percussion, Trumpet, Harp, Backing vocals
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