Silverstein
Transitions

Released on December 7 digitally, this new EP by Silverstein marks the return of the Canadians to the market two years after the good "A Shipwreck In The Sand," and is expected to precede the release of the new album scheduled for spring by a few months.

To get into specifics, two observations can be drawn from this release: one novelty and one constant. The first concerns the label accompanying the release of the work, namely Hopeless Records, one of the most active labels on the scene, replacing Victory, from which the band recently divorced after collaborating with them on all their albums produced so far.

The second concerns the strictly musical aspect, which does not show any jolts or cracks within a sound that is now consolidated and tested and which here, in fact, does not present any significant new features.

As they say, those who have followed them for a long time will not be disappointed by this taste, those who never tolerated them are destined to remain firm in their positions even after "Transitions."

The EP consists of 5 tracks, two of which should also be included in the new LP.

"Transitions" opens with the lead single "Sacrifice," a Silverstein-style track balanced between the usual roughness of rhythm section and vocals and noteworthy sung parts.

However, the theme changes with the pleasant sortie of "Darling Harbour," a lighter and more carefree piece, with strong melodic punk influences, which is pleasant in its groove. This is followed by "Dancing on My Grave," in which heavy almost metalcore-like guitar distortions are found, for what turns out to be the hardest episode.

If these first three tracks present the usual Silverstein, the remaining two provide some slight surprises.

The first of these, "Replace You," is an acoustic piece accompanied by some fleeting outings of strings, highlighting Shane Told's clean voice and demonstrating how the Canadians can handle songs of this genre whenever they try, as evidenced by the acoustic versions of "My Heroine" and "Call It Karma," published, however, only in a collection.

Another surprise concerns the unusual cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Wish," interpreted in an original key, where Silverstein is heard in a strange rocking and nocturnal guise.

Overall, a satisfying effort, which bodes well for the imminent future LP.