Record Reviews

VIOLENT SILENCE ~ A BROKEN TRUCE PROGRESS 055 (Barcode: 7320470172254) ~ SWEDEN ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the third album by Swedish Progressive Rock group Violent SilenceFind albums by this artist, formed and led by drummer / keyboardist / songwriter Johan HedmanFind albums by this artist, with vocalist Martin AhiquistFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Hannes LjunghallFind albums by this artist and Bjorn WestenFind albums by this artist and bassist Anders LindskogFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of just four epic tracks, all lasting over ten minutes, three of which were co-composed by Hedman, Ljunghall and Westen and one by Hedman and Ljunghall, with all lyrics written by Hedman. Stylistically the music is "frozen in time" in the early 1970s Symphonic Prog, with immediate reminiscences of early YesFind albums by this artist and their contemporaries. The melodic suites are well structured and interestingly developed, but introduce no innovation to the music that was first defined forty years earlier, for good and for bad. The high-pitched vocals are clean and in tune, but in the long range can be somewhat unnerving. There is a bit of Celtic and perhaps also Scandinavian Folk influence, which makes this music better than most similar efforts. The instrumental work is spotless, obviously dominated by the keyboards, which play many interesting riffs and fine solos. The rhythm section is doing a perfect job, keeping the music streaming forward and the background elegantly rich, with some superb bass passages. Overall this is a very good Symphonic Prog album, which should delight the die-hard fans of the genre, who simply want more of the same. People who moved on to greener pastures will find this a bit archaic, but nobody can deny the obvious class these guys represent.

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