Silence

A.C.T., A.c.t | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 10, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Inside Out U.S.
• ASIN: B000I6BKBY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,633 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super Cool Album!!!, November 11, 2006

By 

Elton Lee (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silence (Audio CD)

This is an incredible album to listen to. Unlike its predecessor, Silence is soft, soothing, catchy, melodic and most importantly SUPER COOL! I found ACT just a few years back when Last Epic was released that was just an eye opener for me as ACT is band of multi musical genre blending progressive elements with aor melodic rock. At times it was heavy and technical but on the other hand it was also soft, soothing to the ears and playful indeed. It has string elements composed into their song writing which gives it a different side to what the band is capable of. It was just so cool to listen to them. Now with Silence the album title matches with the overall feel of the album. At first it was like oh my god this sounded like pop music but once it grows in you, you'll be singing all day long!! Great lead voice and background vocals from the band. Keyboards play an integral part of the band's music. Still there are progressive elements thrown into the mix but it is just on the softer side. If you just want to relax and enjoy something cool this is it!! Highly recommended! It never surprises me that it is the Sweds that did it again. Get it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Falls Just Short Of Their High Standards, January 13, 2007

By 

Dave_42 "Dave_42" (Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Silence (Audio CD)

It was three years between albums, but at long last the 4th A.C.T album, "Silence" has been released. The Japanese release was on June 21st of 2006, and the rest of the world had to wait until October. This particular item is the Enhanced CD which includes the bonus video of A.C.T performing "Mr. Landlord" in concert. With three strong CDs already to their credit, this fourth release is hoped to propel the group onto the international stage.

This CD returns to the format of their first two CDs where they have a number of individual tracks, followed by a longer work made up from shorter pieces or movements. There are 10 individual pieces, including some very solid tracks such as the opener "Truth Is Pain", "This Wonderful World", "No Longer Touching Ground", and "The Voice Within". The longer piece is called "Consequences" and is made up of 9 tricks, including several strong pieces such as "Joanna", A Father's Love, "Memory To Fight", and "A Wound That Won't Heal". Overall, in many ways this is the most accessible album that A.C.T has done, but it also falls a little bit short of the previous three.

The band A.C.T includes members Jerry Sahlin (synthesizers, lead and backing vocals, vocoder and deck of cards), Ola Andersson (electric and acoustic guitars, lead and backing vocals), Peter Asp (bass guitar, synth bass and bass pedals), Herman Saming (lead and backing vocals), and Tomas Lejon (drums and percussion). On this album they have as guest musicians "The Acting Orchestra" which includes Tomas Ebrelius (violin 1), Hanna Hajslund Hansen (violin 2), Catharina Holm (viola), and John Löfgren (cello). In addition, Kenny Sahlin provides additional lead vocals on "Puppeteers" and Martin Hedin is the angry customer on "Call in Dead".

I have listened to this album repeatedly since purchasing it, and as with their previous works it does get better each time, but it does lack the great tracks which the prior CDs had. So, while this CD will probably earn the group a larger audience, the long-time fans are probably going to prefer their earlier releases. I would put this album at around 3 and ½ stars, but as Amazon doesn't allow that I have to round down to 3.

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid mix of prog and pop, March 30, 2007

By 

Murat Batmaz (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silence (Audio CD)

Silence marks the debut of Sweden's A.C.T. on Inside Out, and expands on their classic pop-driven prog heard on their previous efforts Today's Report and the more intriguing Last Epic. The album consists of two parts -- the first ten songs being the independent pieces, marked by the Saga-like vocal harmonies of "Puppeteers" and "This Wonderful World", the latter decorated with a sweet classical arrangement in its ending. The fervent bass opening of "Out of Ideas" suggests the band are going to launch into a rocking song, but it quickly takes on a symphonic vibe, with lush keyboards, a gentle string attachment, and a neat guitar solo behind Ola Andersson's Jon Anderson-styled vocal delivery. The album does offer a heavier approach with the arrival of the anthemic main riff of "Hope", a song that is right up there with the material Asia offered in the early 90's. Touches of Supertramp, ELO, and Queen come in and out of the songs in the blink of an eye, but what they keep intact throughout is the use of gripping vocal harmonies, supported by symphonic and vintage keys, and melodic guitar effects.

As is the case with previous A.C.T. records, the second half of the album is dedicated to a lengthy piece, simply titled Consequences. This epic-scale composition contains three independent stories: the heavy, more intricate opening of "Silent Screams", complete with wide-open strings, ties in with the delicate acoustic intro of "Introduction" -- according to a recent interview of the band, this is sort of like the storytelling of a Quentin Tarantino piece. "Joanna", one of the high points of the CD, is drenched in a tense synth patch, as a driving bass line carries it into a more rocking domain. The interlocking guitar theme sounds quite interesting and does a nice job depicting the tragic story of a young lady who gets killed in a car accident after having a fight with her boyfriend. The repeated piano melody during the slowed-down section is really beautiful and I love how it transforms back into the mammoth arrangement it is as they weave heavy bass and guitar rhythms into the mix. Also, the vocal melody of "A Father's Love" is truly moving. The third and last mini-concept of the album starts with "The Diary, examining the confusion of a lost little girl who is mentally deranged. The state of her mind is excellently captured with hook-strong vocals harmonies that alternate between innocent whispers to psychotic bursts of drama, with the addition of a wide range of sounds. Perhaps the most Asia-meets-Saga type of composition, it also boasts nice instrumental interplay between bass, guitar, and keys respectively.

The production was done by Andromeda keyboardist Martin Hedin and is to be praised for its use of space and transparancy. A.C.T. have delivered a fine record, but something inside me says, their best is yet to come.