Moonlight Agony - Silent Waters   

A witch's brew of prog that's sure to please

While Swedish prog/power metal act Moonlight Agony may not be quite as well known as some others within their genre, with Silent Waters (the group's second full length) the band proves that they've certainly got what it takes to play ball with the big boys.

Silent Waters seems to take all the cool 'bits' from various acts out there (like the melancholy mood of Evergrey, the bite of Iced Earth, the vocal layering/harmonies of Blind Guardian and a dash of Dream Theater's technicality), cleverly mixing them together to create a very unique and decidedly powerful sound. Plus of course you've got all the other necessary elements needed to create a fine prog/power release. From the smoking guitar solos and symphonic keys to the driving rhythm section and precise power wail - it's all here.

Perhaps one of the best things about this release though, is the fact that it remains both enjoyable and interesting throughout its duration. Many a time I've stuck on a prog or power release - expecting to be immersed and satisfied for an hour or so - only to find myself switching it off after about 5 tracks in because I'm overwhelmingly bored. Not so with Silent Waters; standout tracks like the textbook prog/power opener Leaving Solitude and the vicious riffery of The Dark Era (which sounds very akin to Train of thought era Dream Theater) leave you wanting more while other numbers like the melodic jaunt of The Blood Red Sails and symphonic Different Stories exemplify the diversity that Moonlight Agony has brought to this album. And in my opinion having this amount of diversity on a release is a damn good thing. Mainly because it allows many more fans to access the band's music - especially within a genre that already seems to get a pretty bad rap from many metal fans out there.

Silent Waters is definitely a hard album to fault and to be honest, if I did pop a few negatives into this review, I think I'd just be nitpicking. In my opinion, it's been a few years since we've heard anything this solid and original from the Swedish metal scene - it's nice to see that there's a band out there that's willing to carry the torch for a country that's pushed out some of the most popular metal acts in existence today. Certainly this is a release that may not appeal to all metal heads out there, but I encourage you to be a little daring and check it out - you never know, you might actually enjoy it! For all the prog/power fans out there (especially those that are fond of Sonata Arctica, Dream Theater, Blind Guardian and the like) however, jump right in! If you do check it out, chances are you'll soon be met with a band that have a very firm grip on both their sound and their future.

(Dockyard1/Riot! Entertainment)

Added: September 12th 2007
Reviewer: Aedan Siebert
Score:
Related Link: Official Website
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