Following their recent 20th anniversary tour, during which they performed three separate sets each show, Silverstein have some new songs ready for the masses to enjoy. Their tenth studio album, A Beautiful Place to Drown sees the band matured and not slowing down, despite two whole decades having passed since they formed.
Opening the album are two of the five collaborations throughout its twelve-song runtime: Bad Habits, a pumped-up barrage of riffs featuring Intervals, and Burn It Down. Here, Beartooth vocalist Caleb Shomo pops up just in time for the breakdown, remaining for the rest of the song. Since its release as one of the singles for this record, fans have taken to calling it “Silvertooth”, so both parties could look to collaborating again in the future, as everyone clearly enjoys it.
Where Are You is next, with its rumbling bassline, courtesy of Billy Hamilton, and djent inspired guitar rhythms during the choruses. Aaron Gillespie of Underoath/The Almost shows up on the next track, Infinite, one of the heavier songs on offer. With Josh Bradford and Paul Marc Rousseau’s guitars matching up with the vocals in the chorus, this is definitely among the standout moments. Shape Shift is more of a slower, drawn back offering, though that doesn’t stop it from packing a lyrical punch, tackling feelings of powerlessness and incapability – “I never stood a chance here, did I?”
Following that up is a stretch of three songs that ultimately ends up dragging the album down a little bit. All on Me starts in a very ballad-esque fashion and sprinkles in some electronic sounds here and there for good measure. Surprisingly enough, it also features an enjoyable saxophone (who’d have thought?), which tries to make this song more than an electronically-infused ballad. Sadly, this doesn’t really work all that well. Next up is Madness which, save for Princess Nokia’s rapping parts, which sound a tad out of place, is quite a decent track. Nokia’s appearance, however, may ruin the whole thing for some, others may like it, while others simply won’t care – it all depends on the listener’s tastes and preferences. Madness is then succeeded by Say Yes – a “typical” emo/post-hardcore song which, while quite decent on its own, ends up seeming a little mediocre compared to other songs on this album.
Stop, on the other hand, is up there among the best tracks on offer, with headbang-inducing rhythms throughout, and a stellar breakdown as the proverbial cherry on top. September 14th opens with an acoustic guitar and piano, delivering a newsreel in the background, before heading straight into the heavy riffing we’ve come to expect from Silverstein. Coming Down continues down that path, also adding some catchy guitar leadwork during the choruses. Closing the album is the package’s final collaboration, Take What You Give. With its slower, heartfelt opening, it’s Pierre Bouvier of Simple Plan that truly makes this final song shine.
All in all, A Beautiful Place to Drown is a solid album from the Ontario-based group. The whole band is in top form – Shane Told’s vocals have not aged at all, and his screams sound even better nowadays, while Paul Koehler continues giving his all on the drums each time. Aside from a few tracks that drag a little bit, this latest effort from Silverstein is more than decent, and you should definitely check it out.
8/10
Standout Tracks: Bad Habits, Infinite, Where Are You, Shape Shift, Stop
For Fans Of: Underoath, The Used, Alexisonfire, Simple Plan, Beartooth
Written by: Florin Petrut
