SILAS - "...Welcome To The Journey" demo EP
review by JohnBonhamAtron

As an independent reviewer, I’ve heard a lot about Silas from Bulldog (*grrwuff!* Bd). So I had to listen myself, to see if they’re as good as he keeps telling me they are. And fuck me, they are! It’s hard to believe this is just a demo; the production and thought that’s gone into this is up there with anything you can buy on the high street. Add in to that mix sheer, visceral rocking out, and you an aural assault that will grab you by the balls, smash your head against a wall, and leave you as a shattered, stunned, yet awesomely satisfied, husk of a human being.

The band cite Metallica, Deep Purple, Pantera and others as their influences, and you can tell, but it doesn’t feel like a rehash of other bands’ material. It is relentlessly heavy, but with a deeply epic and progressive feel to it, that elevates it above most of the shit that’s out there. “Delusion Is The Illusion” comes off particularly strongly, with driving riffs fighting against soaring vocals and weird progressive bits. Coming off like some deranged mating of Metallica and Led Zeppelin, it works beautifully.

The only criticism I’d have about this demo is the song “Storm Before The Calm”, which Silas themselves say needs reworking, with better production. Not only is refreshing to see a band so obviously committed to producing the best material they can, but crucially, the song they themselves criticise still rocks more than damn near everything out there at the minute. And then we have the live tracks. These are live versions of songs elsewhere on the album, but Christ Almighty, do they rock hard live. Right, that’s enough of this review. No more reviewing tonight, I’m off to listen to them again!

NoiseMatters rated: (4/5)