A Dead Silence - Catharsis

A Dead Silence are a 5-piece Technical Death Metal band from Adelaide, South Australia. They have quickly made quite a good name for themselves after playing alongside well know acts such as Suicide Silence, All Shall Perish, The Contortionist, Emmure and Thy Art Is Murder. Showing Australia their very own brand of technical brutality which has lead them to became South Australia's fastest growing band in the Metal scene.

'Catharsis' is their debut EP and it starts off with a slow and ominous one minute intro called 'Calling Forth The Waves' and what happens next, prepare yourself. Total chaos ensues with 'Modern Transfigurement' starting at full speed, with vicious vocals and blistering drums. Everything here sounds great and each individual truly compliments the other with their own unique sound. It's got everything that will make you want to headbang or mosh along to the catchy riffs and breakdowns. The first thing that impresses me when first hearing A Dead Silence is the incredible guitar playing, for example 2:30 into 'Modern Transfigurement' is mind blowing. SHRED! A brilliant start to the EP for sure, which then leads to the next track 'The Art Of Martyrdom.' More well executed shredding and powerful grooves, nice breakdowns and clocking in at 6:27 it is the longest song on the EP and probably the best I would say. It doesn't really get repetitive which is a relief, because some Deathcore/Death Metal bands tend to sound boring when they attempt a longer track. Only a small handful make it work, these guys are one of them and those 6-minutes fly by and leave you wanting more. But it's not over yet, next up is 'Vultures' which is a more slowly paced song which really does give the vocalist a chance to stand out more on this one. With less technical parts and a slower background, we get to hear the front man show off his brutal range and very fitting style. 'Catharsis' is the title track obviously and we go back to the faster pace and epic guitar playing, with a massive breakdown that has to be heard. Another thing I like about A Dead Silence is that their breakdowns aren't boring and they can make the most of them by adding little solos and catchy riffs which makes them more appealing. The final track on the EP is 'Oh, Emperor Of Patricide' and it ends things on a truly heavy note. Punishing drums that blast at ridiculous speeds, riffs galore, an epic solo and unrelenting vocals which all make for a pleasurable yet intense listen.

It's great to see these guys showcasing their ability on the guitar, much like Geelong's Empires Fall, they are creating a new and fresh sound so that they will stand out in this genre. Rather than just sticking to 'verse-breakdown-chorus-breakdown-verse' which gets very repetitive and boring after a while. Adding bits and pieces here and there while maintaining excellent song structure, keeping it exciting. A Dead Silence seem to know what they are doing and I'm really looking forward to their first full length album, whenever that may be. Support these guys by heading to their website www.adeadsilence.bigcartel.com and picking up a copy of their 'Catharsis' EP and check out their merch while you're there.

7.5/10