SILENCE SPEAKS

Well, here's a pleasant little gem from a band that approximately nobody has heard of. 'Silence Speaks' by Platitude is proof that if you dig around in the right places, you will eventually strike gold. Sadly, this band split up shortly after the release of this album, which is a huge shame as with this, their third record, they stripped away a lot of the neo- classical elements of their previous records and went with a more simpler, "melodic metal" vibe. And it sounds great!

This is progressive/power metal, without all the musical virtuosity, and it shows that sometimes taking elements from progressive metal, but focusing on the song-writing as much as the "showing off" can really benefit the music.

Now with only one guitarist in the band, Gustav Kollerstroms stripped down riffs compliment Kristofer Wachenfeldts keyboard melodies perfectly, leaving as much emphasis on both instruments to really play off of each other. And with Erik "EZ" Blomkvists warm, and very easy-to-listen-to vocals, this album is an absolute joy from start to finish. Highlights from this album include 'Tell the Truth', 'Silence Speaks', 'Fear (It's Over Now)' and 'Walk With Me'; each song sadly lost in today's vast musical landscape.

Whilst this isn't a record that was set to kick off a new musical revolution, it certainly is a nice little addition to any prog or power metal fans collection, and it's a shame with the new direction they were headed in, that Platitude never really got any recognition and disbanded unheard of. 'Silence Speaks' is the true definition of a "hidden gem".