Fester- Silence

Those of you that read the review for Winter of Sin already know my strong feelings toward that album. Their debut was without a doubt one of the most unique albums to come out in that period of time and due to the band's standout sound they didn't quite break into the scene. That being said those of you who have continued to put Fester on the backburner will be hating themselves the instant they put on either of their albums. This is good, real good.

One thing that made Winter of Sin was that it has a very distinctive sound. The band seamlessly blend a number of genres and in the process make something that can only be described as Fester. The music featured on Silence is far from menacing, they embrace a style that is dripping with mysticism and is surrounded with a very gloomy atmosphere. Many of the tracks on the album have a feel that can almost be described as laid back. "The Maze" is strangely very calming as well as a few others tracks featured on the album. Fester is one of those bands that make music that you can truly get lost in, the content here is simply mesmerizing.

With this album Fester takes a more traditional approach in terms of guitar playing. The riffs here wouldn't seem out of place on some of the classic metal albums that were brought to us in the late 70's/early 80's. In more ways than one Silence is less extreme in terms of sound than the debut is. Though the album is still heavy it is hard to describe it as aggressive. One of the biggest standout tracks on the album is "Voices From the Woods". The song features one of the most enchanting choruses in metal history and features melodies that are stunning. Much like on the first release the vocals consist of weak and distant black metal esque shrieks with the occasional clean thrown in. This style fits what Fester plays well and is extremely unusual. Those who are just getting into the band may have a hard time adjusting to the vocals but overall it is all a matter of taste.

Overall Fester has impressed me once again even with my ridiculously high expectations. Fans of music in general need to get both this and Winter of Sin, if you have functioning ears you will not be disappointed. In a world where you often have trouble distinguishing one band from another Fester is one of the few exceptions that by the time the first note is played you immediately know the band, album, and track that is being played. Without a doubt this band was far ahead of it's time and they deserve a lot more respect than they currently get.