LET SILENCE FALL

It is some five years since Deafening Opera released their second album, but finally they are back with their third. Even before putting it in the player I was impressed with the effort that had been put into the presentation, with all lyrics contained in the booklet. This is a concept album, but interestingly there is no explanation of that in the booklet, or in the press release, or on their website as there is an expectation that the listener will work the story out for themselves. I don't know why it has taken so long for a follow-up, but it is good to see that the six-man line-up are the same as last time, and there is a continuity and tightness that only comes from a band that know each other well.

They have moved firmly into hard prog territory this time, keeping it tight but never really pushing into prog metal, although they do have their moments. Adrian Daleore has a good clean voice, and by often staying more baritone than many, it definitely provides a distinctive front sound to the band. They state that the sounds they are using are more modern now, and in many ways that is true, although I did feel that they probably have more in common with many of the 90's neo-prog acts than many of the others that around today, although Riverside continues to be an obvious influence. They are playing some gigs in the near future, and they need to get out and capitalise on this, as they have been taking too long between albums to build a real momentum. The lack of reviews for this album on the web also shows how much they need to build their profile, which is a real shame as yet again they have produced a strong album, with some interesting ideas that has been well produced. It may not be essential, but it is certainly well worth investigating