SHAMELESSLY DRESSED

''Bad side memories'' showed a band with potential but also with evident flaws in its sound.Two years forward Casual Silence would return, this time with a 3-track, 20-min. EP, entitled ''Shamelessly dressed''.By the time they had added a sixth member in the line-up, keyboardist David Natali.

The obvious changes, soundwise speaking, become clear from the very first notes of the title-track, a piece lying somewhere between AOR/ballad stylings and Melodic/Heavy Rock with emphatic vocals and a grandiose atmosphere, based on smooth piano lines, dreamy synthesizer and some strong guitar solos.With '' Different silence'' they play some sort of DREAM THEATER-like Progressive Rock/Metal, featuring the high-pitched vocals of Rob Larrhoven and the punchy electric guitars of D'Armandville/Van Dijk, but the addition of some symphonic keys and the complex synth twists show that the band was heading towards the right direction.''Empty hands'' is a mix of the previous styles, clocking at 9 minutes and allowing the band to perform as many styles as possible.From dramatic Heavy Prog tunes with ethereal keyboards to scratching riffs, from lyrical moments to AOR-spiced choruses, from atmospheric soundscapes to rockin' solos.Another decent attempt by the band to enter more progressive realms.

Casual Silence had sweetened their sound a bit with the addition of keyboards, but their style remained a groovy Heavy Rock/Prog with dominant atmospheres.Well-developed and recommended step.