Light Bearer
Silver Tongue

A journey that reaches halfway through its completion, a realization that at times becomes moving, almost like the arches that in the opening create the right mood to immerse oneself in the sequel of “Lapsus” within the narrative arc planned by mastermind Alex “CF” Bradshaw (also the creator of all the band’s artwork), a true genius, with ideas perhaps radical, but precise, vivid, and pulsating. As a testament to this genius, there are the late Fall of Efrafa or the other side-project Momentum which also reached its conclusion. Because yes, the characteristic of his projects, which go far beyond a simple musical group, is precisely that of having a predefined expiration date, set from the beginning of the journey. This fate is not different for the Light Bearer creature structured on four works to be completed in the more or less immediate future, the so-called “Æsahættr Tetralogy” of which “Silver Tongue” represents the second chapter. A concept developed by maneuvering allegorically between Milton's “Paradise Lost”, the book of Genesis, and Pullman's trilogy “His Dark Materials”, a story where music can be the protagonist, thus helping to materialize Alex's thought and narrative vein.

Finding the words to talk about what flows in a monolithic hour and twenty of compositions is a daunting task, a challenge that continually forces me to erase and rewrite verbs, adjectives deeming them insufficient, not so much for the amount of material available, but for the emotionality of the proposal. One can feel among the musical chiaroscuro the heart and passion put into the masterful suites of Silver Tongue. The rawness and vibrant energy of every ruinous post-metal distortion emerge without any filter. The British are intimately familiar with the careers of Neurosis, Cult of Luna and the like, but they create something unique. There is a stylistic imprint you won’t find elsewhere. A balance and blend between story-telling and musical solutions that showcase a chameleonic personality of top-notch quality. Looking for nods to Godspeed You! Black Emperor? You've got them. Post-rock intimism? Sure thing. Rock-solid melody à la Envy? Go ahead, without any fear. Hypnotic drone? No problem. And so on. One is suspended in an ethereal melancholy that apocalyptically characterizes every moment in which one manages to free themselves from the viscosity of Alex's screams, revealing the more humane and fragile soul of Light Bearer's proposal. The diffused aura of violins, the delicate piano thrills, the epicness of the winds develop a counterpoint disillusioned harmoniously with the gravity expressed by the atrocious and edgy cadences that animate the more vehement sections of the entire record. But the winning factor is precisely the atmosphere. The views and horizons that majestically open up or, in some cases, like “Matriarch”, completely seize the scene, are disarmingly refined and have a transcendental flavor that makes one detach completely from the roughness of the more dramatic moments. Everything is done with the right timing, to be able to concentrate the post-hardcore escalations in a dialectical balance between dramatic sounds.

You cannot read and not try to understand the message that emerges from the long texts spawned from Alex's mind. You cannot. One would take away the value, the proposal would remain incomplete, and so you must immerse yourself in the chosen perspective for this “Silver Tongue”. That of Original Sin, the rise of Lucifer, and the figure of Eve, with a whole path that can have metaphorical contacts and connections with the world and contemporary society, which can be read beyond the mere textual meaning. It is a symbolism that drastically permeates the development of the distressing reinterpretation and personal re-elaboration, in a deep abyss, the one where humanity seems to fall. The cruelty of the oppression of False Myths that constantly threaten the integrity of every individual, the ambiguity of the word and everything it can imply if spoken in a blind world, unable to truly see. And so we return to the Light Bearer, indeed, the False God who deceives, mystifies, and promises, creating false hopes and reassurances. Whether agreeable or not, this is what you will find in the backbone that supports “Silver Tongue”, all proposed in the least superficial way possible and with anthropological veins not too hidden between the lines. An intricate and painful scenario that is built step by step as soon as the chimes of “Beautiful Is This Burden” strike, which insinuates itself slowly and will cause the rest of the story to explode in a stream of consciousness. The ending? We are not to know. The epic does not conclude on the final title track; we are referred to “Magisterium”, the third chapter that will show us a further development of the story before “Lattermost Sword” finally closes the curtain on Light Bearer.

Take your time to understand it, because all this is not easily assimilated, it requires the right dosage. Don't be greedy; enjoy it as if each track is a small piece of a larger mosaic (and indeed it is). The unstoppable desire that Alex & Co., with the ever-present DIY ethic, create the sequel as soon as possible will be at very high levels, but for now, you will have to be content and enjoy one of the best realities the post-whatever panorama can offer.