Within Silence
The Eclipse Of Worlds
(Ulterium Records)
Lets face it; in hindsight, the ‘record output’ of many Christian Heavy Metal acts have ultimately left much to be desired, particularly when compared to their secular brethren. Unable to secure the financial and PR support of a well-heeled label and the guidance of experienced, professional management, such groups often failed regardless of their level of talent or dedication to honing their individual crafts. Fortunately, this is most definitely not the case with Slovakian-born masterminds Within Silence. Having emerged from the ashes of Rightdoor in 2014, the group unleashed their full-length debut Gallery Of Life (2015) upon a largely unsuspecting collective after signing with Progressive, Power and Symphonic Metal specialists Ulterium Records. Now, with the release of the long-overdue The Eclipse Of Worlds (2024) at last upon us, the group finds themselves on the precipice of a well-deserved commercial renaissance. The questions is, are you, and perhaps the genre itself, really ready?
On the stellar The Eclipse Of Worlds (2024), an expertly assembled nine song collection of Christian-fueled Power Metal, each track, beginning with the maddeningly infectious “Land Of Light” and the fist-pumping single “Divine Power” (the official video can be viewed here), commands the rapt and undivided attention of all parties involved, myself most definitely included. Wholeheartedly flexing their creative muscles early and often, the group wastes little–if any–time capitalize on the wealth of success initiated with the release of Return From The Shadows (2017) and the previously-mentioned Gallery Of Life. Building upon a painstakingly quintessence of their unnervingly intricate auditory modus operandi, the initial series of auditory excursions are as fine-tuned as they are ‘tastefully extravagant’. Boldly reminding (despite their relative obscurity and corresponding lack of global presence) us all of their more-than-considerable lyrical and compositional abilities, the group soldiers on.
Continuing with the soaring, thought-provoking “The Treason” and the delightfully epic “Battle Hymn”, the airtight combination of vocalist Martin Klein (ex-Sakrament), lead guitarist Richard Germanus, rhythm guitarist Marian Gonda (replacing the inexplicably absent Martin Čičo, an instructor at Košice, Slovakia-based Letecká Fakulta), bassist Viktor Varga and Anthology drummer Peter Pleva steamrolls ahead at what must be described as a carefully-calculated pace. Driving home each key focal point via a seamless blend of their trademark vocal histrionics, blistering fretwork and imaginatively punishing rhythms, the group wisely avoids the tired ‘reinvent the wheel’ mentality employed by their few would-be contemporaries. Armed with an already remarkably well-received discography–the press, for what it’s worth, have been almost overwhelming positive–the group scores major points early and often by remaining exactly focused upon their meteorical artistic growth and recognition.
Mixed and Mastered Theocracy mastermind Matt Smith and the oft-acclaimed Jacob Hansen (Amaranthe, Epica, Pyramaze), other standouts, including the relentlessly pummeling, string-laden “The Mist” and the uniquely exhaustive closer “When Worlds Collide”, are seemingly guaranteed to further solidify their reputation as a bona fide creative force to be reckoned with. While one might effectively argue the flawlessly upbeat compositions found throughout The Eclipse Of Worlds are, for lack of a more succinct term, ‘addictively palpable’, the end results of their painstakingly concerted efforts ultimately succeed by remaining entirely focused on delivering the proverbial goods. Accordingly, even if you somehow find yourself less-than-enthralled with the group’s occasional, and perhaps entirely unavoidable, penchant for certain mainstream trappings of the genre’s elite, one must, at the very least, sincerely admire their apparently ceaseless dedication to perfecting this razor-sharp craft.
An absolute must-have for fans of Power Quest, Stratovarius and Theocracy (or, for that matter, anyone with a genuine and sincere interested in all things Power Metal and Power Metal-related), the majority–if not all–of the decidedly over-the-top wares contained herein find the woefully-underrated group effortlessly delivering the proverbial goods. Love ’em or loathe ’em, this is quite possibly as good as it gets. However, what ultimately separates the mighty The Eclipse Of Worlds from its contemporary predecessors is their overall focus on ‘positivity’, a much-welcomed and increasingly rare characteristic that could in fact propel them to the dizzying heights of international acclaim. Needless to say, if you’ve once again found yourself in search of a refreshing alternative to the painfully mindless reč a klepot that is so often force-fed en mass via the many charts and airwaves, then this, my friends, might just be the high-octane counter irritant for what ails you. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Select Discography
The Eclipse Of Worlds (2024)
Return From The Shadows (2017)
Gallery Of Life (2015)