A year after the dark and melancholic “Rain On A Wedding Day” the industrial metal stalwarts THE SILVERBLACK are back with a brand new explosive album entitled “Prototype 6:17”. The sound has once again evolved if compared to the previous album: the tempos have become more sustained, the guitar-work is more relevant and there's an overall aggression that gives a sense of urgency to the whole work.
Clear examples of this new-found energy are pounders like the opener “Prototype”, “Sine Missione” or the industrial smasher “To The Shadows”. There's still a lot of space for the more melodic moments that usually culminate in extremely catchy choruses (“Embers”, “Hold On To A Whisper”) skillfully layered by NeroArgento's vocals that create a vivid contrast with the more heavy parts dominated by the feral vocals of Infernalizer.
There is a particular attention to details when it comes to the synthesizers and the arrangements of the electronic parts, while the song structures themselves are usually essential avoiding being redundant, clearly showcasing the willingness to write direct and immediate industrial-metal anthems. The dystopian cyberpunk atmosphere of the opus is well portrayed by a stunning sci-fi cover art by Noel Guard, known for having illustrated “The Industrialist” graphic novel by FEAR FACTORY's Burton C Bell, while the album's title itself is a clear reference to the 6:17 verse taken from the Book Of Revelation: “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it? ”; and there's tons of wrath in the lyrics for sure: the main lyrical themes deal about anger, melancholy and a nihilistic existential approach that leaves no room for hope or a better tomorrow.
A slight change of pace occurs when Infernalizer switches from the death growlish vocals to a more deep crooning tone giving songs like “Carnivogue” a more gothic-industrial flavour. While the album has been recorded at NeroArgento's own Aexeron Studios in Turin as usual the production has been handled for the first time ever by both NeroArgento and his long time friend and producer Travis J Pierson at the White Eagle Sound in Baltimora, creating a more defined and balanced sound, giving more clearness to the usual THE SILVERBLACK signature soundscape. Dynamic, focused, sharp and with every intention to kick you in the ass: these are THE SILVERBLACK year 2019.
RELEASE: November 22th. 2019
01. Prototype
02. Breathing Fire
03. Carnivogue
04. Embers
05. To The Shadows
06. Alone
07. The Ghostwalker
08. Sine Missione
09. Hold On To A Whisper
10. Insurrection
11. Revelation 6:17