Silentium
Seducia

For the series "A title, a program," here we go with yet another prepackaged symphonic gothic disc with (aptly) a seductive frontwoman on the cover, which ends up ruining artwork that would have been much more dignified without (the photos on the inner pages are perhaps the element I appreciated the most of the entire disc).

Let’s move on to the music: an almost total disaster, a jumble of elements picked from here and there among the most famous - but certainly not the most deserving - names in the scene (Lacuna Coil, Sentenced, Within Temptation above all), the fair of the already heard, often making one feel like turning everything off. Riina Rinkinen’s voice is not the best, and it’s a shame because, while it's true that today’s gothic metal bands certainly don’t shine for technical mastery, originality, and imagination, the quality of female singing is usually medium-high. That said, it must be noted that, despite the lack of expressiveness, her voice is, in any case, listenable. Her tones remind one of Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil in some moments, Amy Lee from Evanescence in others, and yet again Sharon Den Adel from Within Temptation, without ever really falling into plagiarism. She barely makes it.

The male voice of Matti Aikio is the worst I have ever heard. As inexpressive as few, it follows the trail of Andrea Ferro and Ville Laihiala (respectively singers of Lacuna Coil and their fellow countrymen Sentenced) managing to completely ruin the songs in which he takes the stage; luckily, it’s not the main voice. The guitars often fall into anonymity to make space for overabundant - but sterile - orchestrations. Unfortunately, Silentivm are not Nightwish, so, not having a real orchestra, with certain symphonic passages so poorly structured, they've really bit off more than they can chew.

Yet something in this album is salvageable. The piano and the cello are played very well; the songs " Hangman's Lullaby" (truly beautiful in the verses, with an excellent beginning and a solid chorus reminiscent of the latest Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil), "Unbroken" (the classic symphonic ballad perfect for a soundtrack, it's the only song whose simple but deep lyrics I appreciated) and the title track, definitely the best episode: exciting (well, except for the male voice, as penible as always) with a spine-chilling finale, it manages to give a musical counterpart to what's represented in the artwork (listen to believe).
The rest, although with some flashes of originality (the intro of "Dead Silent" reminds one of old songs from the '40s), is often boring, and due to a male voice that is too annoying, the overall result of the album is severely affected.

We cannot, therefore, speak of an achieved milestone for the band, except for what will probably be a commercial one. If instead they truly want to make their mark, they will need to work more on the elements of their music, making them, if not original, at least expressive. For now, three songs aren’t enough to make an album appreciated by everyone. Finally, I can say that Silentivm add nothing to what has already been offered by thousands of other bands and only demonstrate the lack of ideas that have been inflating the genre for years; blaming them at this point doesn’t seem fair.
The fact remains that, as proof of the passable rating given to it, this album does not represent for me so much a disappointment as a great point of reflection. Noting how in 2006 playing gothic metal represents for many (the blatant example is that of Within Temptation) just another way to make money makes me sad and a bit fearful because the era of the great artists of the genre, those who dominated the scene in the early years of the last decade, able to give deep emotions (not plasticized like those of modern groups) to their listeners, seems to be coming to an end.

Fortunately, however, there are people who, in creating (real) music, do not prioritize an economic payoff but the ability to convey emotions, dedication, artistic depth, and quality. And it is thanks to this type of people that I still dare to break a lance in favor of a musical genre that does not enjoy (partly deservedly) great esteem among metal-heads. My advice is to look around; Gothic metal is not just Lacuna Coil & co.