Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Age Of Silence: Acceleration (The End Records, 2004) reviewed by: Vinaya

Track Listing1. Auditorium Of Modern Movements 2. Acceleration 3. The Concept Of Haste 4. A Song For D. Incorporated 5. The Green Office And The Dark Desk Drawer 6. The Flow at 9:30 am 7. Of Concrete And Glass 8. 90 Degree Angles 9. I No Longer Know If I Am Mad 10. Synthetic, Fabricated, Calculated

You know what they say about judging a book by its cover; and Acceleration is a textbook example of this old truism. Honestly, that butt-ugly, puke-green image of faceless men in business suits was enough to lower my expectations by about twenty percent. Good thing I resisted my knee-jerk reaction and gave it a chance!

In all seriousness, however, what Age Of Silence have to offer beneath the homely sleeve is a subtle, murky, but guitar-heavy form of prog-rock with keyboard enhancements. And oddly enough, despite the twin guitars of Kobbergaard and Extant (yes those are their full names, as credited in the liner notes!), it is keyboardist Winter (yes, that’s his full name too!) who does most of the soloing, which is kept to a minimum; rather unusual for a progressive rock album indeed! Perhaps the most well-known character here is drummer Hellhammer (these names are just too much!), who is perhaps best known for his work with the controversial Norwegian black metal act Mayhem, though Age Of Silence seems to have evolved out of one of his other bands, Winds.

As you might have guessed, Acceleration has more in common with the progressive leanings of Winds than the raging evilness of Mayhem and their ilk. The songs are loosely tied by the concept of corporate greed, with lyrics that cryptically but persistently work towards painting a desolate picture of a faceless society in blind, never-ending pursuit of ever more material wealth and power. Vocals are competent, but somewhat monotone, and I am beginning to think this was done on purpose to emphasize the soulless and hollow setting the band is trying to depict. Indeed, the album itself has something of a faceless quality to it as well. No song stands out at all as a standout track; rather, they work best taken in together, in sequence, in one sitting.

Age of Silence is clearly a band with something slightly different to offer. Sure, there are elements of modern prog ala Dream Theater and even Porcupine Tree on here. Indeed, the latter are perhaps the closest comparison I can think of, with this band’s music being somewhat like a less abstract Porcupine Tree. However, there is a definite element of isolation to the band’s sound, perhaps causing the lack of standout tracks I mentioned. Age Of Silence have not thoroughly won me over, but Acceleration proves they are a band to watch out for, with a definite possibility of better things on the horizon. Oh, and better luck on the cover art next time, guys.

Rating: 7


--Vinaya 11.04.04