Customer Reviews

Silent Stage

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rapture, has come out swinging with they're latest release "Silent Stage" possibly they're best release to date. I like to believe that this band is now more musically accesable than previous releases. Instrumentally it's more fluid than "Futile" and has much more emphasis on the melodic vocals than either "Songs for the Withered" and "Futile". Stand out tracks include "Misery 24/7", "I Am Completed", "Silent Chrysalis Stage", and either of the two instrumental tracks "For The Ghosts of Our Time" and "Completion". Overall Rapture's most matured release. I give it a 9/10 but it deserves 5 stars.

I distinctly recall the first time I hear Rapture's debut album "Futile" back in the late 90s. It sounded so much like Katatonia that initially I was put off. But then I couldn't stop listening to it! Katatonia had long left the death/doom style behind and moved forward with a melancholic rock sound. I hadn't realised just how much I missed the old Katatonia sound until Rapture cloned it perfectly. That's not to say that the band don't have an identity of their own, as over the course of three albums, these depressed geniuses from Finland have created some truly beautiful, breathtaking music and I consider them to be one of the best bands in my collection.

So what does "Silent Stage" offer up? Well, I must admit I was concerned after "Songs For the Withering", Rapture's second album, that they may follow Katatonia down the rock path, but "Silent Stage" is really just a continuation of the last album's sound. Clean and death vocals intertwined with amazing melodies and a seriously downbeat atmosphere. It's not surprising at all to find that a couple of members of Rapture also play in Shape of Despair, that other brilliant entity of doom from Finland, but this is nowhere near as slow or heavy as Shape of Despair.

Just as on the previous album, I find myself enjoying the heavier tracks on the album ("Dreaming of Oblivion", "Cold on My Side") and the two instrumental tracks are amazing ("For the Ghosts of Our Time", "Completion"). I guess that says something about my personal preference, but I also feel that in general, the clean vocals don't always work for Rapture. It's not that the clean vocalist (there are two separate vocalists in the band) is not good, in fact at times it suits the music perfectly, but there are other times where it sounds quite out of place and also highlights some of the less inspired lyrics ("The Past Nightmares", "I am Complete", "The Times We Bled"). It's for this reason that I don't think Rapture will ever reach the inspired genius of "Futile", at least in my opinion.

But the music itself is always of such a high quality, that I thoroughly enjoy everything Rapture has ever released and hope the band receives some very well earned success, so they can continue to release more albums in years to come. If you're a fan of Katatonia or early Paradise Lost, then Rapture's albums should be at the top of your list, for it's rare to find music of such honesty and passion these days. It's the kind of music you should listen to alone for a touching and emotional experience.

Here's another fine release by the very talented Rapture; without a doubt their most mature release to date. What's great about this album is that it is still catchy like the bands previous works, but w/ just enough nuance to make the music fresh & not the same straight forward formula the band had before. There's a lot of great tracks on this album, but my favorite is the instrumental "For the Ghosts of Our Time." If you like Katatonia or Daylight Dies, then any album from this band will surely satisfy!

I love this album It's more catchy than songs for the withering and it still reminds many of katatonia's brave murder day...Behemoth this group isn't =) this is melodic death metal at it's finest. Though not as dark as SFTW it's still very somber and depressing just no where near the groups first album Futile it's logical progression for this band and they should keep up the good work .