The Silent Wedding – 'Ego Path': An outstanding metal feast!

After the pre-listening of 'Ego Path' this past October and the arrival of two singles (Time of Darkness and Caught in the Web), the full record from Silent Wedding finally landed in our hands. Silent Wedding. So we put on our best gear (leather jackets and skinny jeans!!!), settled into the couch, cranked up the volume, and hit play!

Egoism and ostrich-mentality set against a backdrop of progressive / power metal music

As always, the analysis begins well before the listening starts. Title and cover art grab my attention. I did say I'm meticulous and old-school! So wanting to soak up as much meaning as possible, I start there. The record signals to me that it's going to deal with the choices each person makes. 'Ego Path' will try to capture the path each of us carves out through our choices, as well as the responsibilities that inevitably weigh on the consequences of those actions.Ego Path' will try to capture the path each of us carves out through our choices, as well as the responsibilities that inevitably weigh on the consequences of those actions.

The cover reinforces that idea about responsibility for me. With a strong sense of ostrich-mentality (that is, denial of responsibility), it depicts the lovable little animal trying to hide! So, I'm gearing up for a journey – a retrospective through lived-in lyrics…

Long-lasting musical pleasure

The album contains 12 tracks, ranging between 3 and 6 minutes. The duration matters. But in no way will you feel the record dragging. The choice to go with many tracks of moderate length is a very clever one. Through this, Silent Wedding give us plenty of musical 'stories', which don't tire the listener out.

On the music

Before diving into the record, I knew I'd have a lot to write about the music! Let's try to take it all from the top!

Rhythm Section: Bass and Drums

On the rhythmic front, Ρένος (Renos Lialioutis – drums) and Γιώργος (Giorgos Krithatis – bass) give the tracks a foundation that can only be described as very distinctive. The rhythmic parts have excellent dynamics, while the fills on the drums' side give the tracks a special feel. Naturally, there's no shortage of sudden bursts (packed with double-bass "boots") that sweep us along. At this point, I want to give credit to the record's production as well. 'Ego Path'Ego Path' feels to me like one of the few records I can recall where I could hear every snare hit and every kick-drum touch this clearly. And that held true on every track, throughout the whole record, not just occasionally!

Guitar and Keys

Silent Wedding Silent Wedding cover the melodic side of their tracks with Δημήτρης (Dimitris Katsaros – guitar) and Γιάννης (Giannis Thermos – keys), on guitar and keys respectively. I'll start with something impressive about how the band uses these two instruments (at least in my opinion). Usually, bands that have both these instruments 'split' their tracks into sections where either the keys take solo parts and the guitar plays rhythm, or vice versa. So there's a constant back-and-forth between keys and guitar, which gives you the feeling of a game of power within the tracks.

In 'Ego Path'Ego Path' this trait is absent. Throughout the flow of each song, both instruments are beautifully 'intertwined'. The keys are active throughout the record, without ever sticking out badly in the mix (a mistake many bands make). Both instruments take on solo and rhythm parts. But they're placed so well in the mix that neither one distracts you from the track itself.

Vocals

Here we have Μάριος (Marios Karanastasis – vocals), who takes on the lead vocals ( Γιάννης backs him up with backing vocals, of course). Marios has a very distinctive power metal tone. His voice has epic qualities while at the same time feeling completely natural and grounded to me. Here too the production is excellent, giving the sense of multiple layers of vocals. Finally, Marios has very correct and clear diction. Listening to the record, you won't need to check the booklet to read the lyrics. Just listen to them!

Editor's Choice: 'The Sea of Fate'

This particular track had grabbed my attention since the pre-listening. For me, 'The Sea of Fate'The Sea of Fate' has an outstanding melody that nails itself into your head. At the same time, it's a killer showcase of Marios's vocal abilities, as well as the musical chops of all the members. From the intro riff to the very last note, the song gives you plenty of reasons to put it on repeat. P.S. I can still hear in my head the line 'In god we trust, turn ourselves to dust’!

Credits

The recording, production and mixing of the record were done at Underground Studios by Jim Katsaro. The layout and artwork of the record by Travis Smith (Seempieces) (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and the photography by Stella Mouzi (Facebook, Instagram).

In conclusion

Silent Wedding give us a record full of metal melodies. 'Ego Path'Ego Path' has it all. Modern sound, lived-in stories that will move you, outstanding production and tracks that will nail themselves into your head! It's definitely a must-listen record from a well-rounded band. It's worth setting aside the time to listen and lose yourself in its atmospheric sounds.

The band has a lot to offer us. Every time, they make us look forward to their next work, their next live show, or even just their next story (like the ones they shared with us in the interview below for Fuzzy Hound)!