Band: Silence O Israel
Title: The Lord Speaks
Label: n/a
Release Date: August 12, 2010
Review By: Steve
Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Beware: Alexander the Coppersmith
3. Myopic
4. Emmanuel
5. The Lord Speaks
For fans of “Heavy Worship,” this is how it is done right! This five-piece heavy worship band out of Bakersfield, California can sure bring the “Heavy.” Most if not all “heavy” music by nature is very masculine whether it is metal or hardcore. Silence O Israel seems to have added an extra heaping of testosterone on to their EP—The Lord Speaks. They list “Heavy Worship” as there genre, but it can also be likened to metalcore in the vein of For Today and pretty much every Facedown/Strike First artist (I mean that as a compliment). Don’t let the “nice-guy” exterior of the band members fool you—these guys can bring it!
The EP starts out with a good “Intro” track that slowly builds into some heavy double bass, blast beats and bass drops. A very fitting intro to the coming heaviness of the other four tracks. The remaining four tracks are chock-full of galloping double bass, chaotic riffs, and last but certainly not least heavy “808” drops! You definitely need a good subwoofer to fully appreciate them. Lead vocalist Eddie has an excellent voice and alternates between lower, harsh growls and higher pitched, deathcore type screams. SOI also sprinkles in some spoken word and gang vocals. In addition, SOI effectively uses some distorted electronic type noises here and there throughout the EP, which add to the originality of their music. SOI also writes some excellent lyrics. Lyrics from “Beware: Alexander the Coppersmith,” “We are feeding the beast that destroys us / Condemning ourselves to death / We are ingesting the poison that’s killing us / Arm yourself, prepare for what will come” remind me a lot like War of Ages. The only downside to this album is that it is only a five-song EP.
I need to warn you about this EP: if you have an average car audio system, you might want to consider turning the bass and/or volume down especially for “Intro.” Tweeter bass does not sound good and you might blow them. I was able to fully enjoy The Lord Speaks on my home stereo much more than my car.
Overall: This album is a must buy for every fan of heavy music. My iTunes library is better off with the addition of The Lord Speaks. When I think of how good this EP is, it is crazy to think how good Silence O Israel could be with the backing of good label. The Lord Speaks is going to be a permanent fixture on my iPod. Please do yourself a favor and support Silence O Israel ministry.
RIYL: For Today, War of Ages, A Plea for Purging, Facedown/Strike First artists