Silencer – Death Pierce Me (Reissue)
Originally released in 2000 on Prophecy Productions, “Death Pierce Me” stands today as a sadly overlooked, though poignant piece of sorrow filled, suicidal black metal. Silencer clearly modeled their aesthetic around Bethlehem’s “Suizid”/”Dark metal”, yet injected their own sense of black metal and theatrical urgency into the fray of clean blasting guitar riffs and more suffocating mid to slow paced compositions. Piano and other such mood setting segments of atmosphere resonate in a crypt-like reverb. The lunatic screams that are the unwavering monolith at the forefront of this musical storm intensify this haunting production with an element that indicates genuine mental illness. As off centered as they are maddening, the vocals do heavily remind me of the Landferman/Marco screamers that have filled Bethlehem’s ranks, but this lack of originality is quickly forgotten as the twisted and agonizing performance piles on the desperation and the vocalist’s desire for self mutilation through this very vocal act of screeching self torture. Clean guitar passages and other such brilliantly sculpted compositions benefit from a rich guitar tone that lies at the foundation of “Death – Pierce Me” like a shot of poison at the bottom of a heady drink. Intoxicating and lethal! Silencer’s ability to lead the listener by the hand with their music through the cavernous layers of our own subconscious to show the long ago suppressed horrors lurking there, is nothing short of inspiring and a touch unsettling. It’s a shame that this band only hung in there for one release, but “Death – Pierce Me” is a definite audio gem for those of you that “get” the bleak beauty lying in the long lost music of Bethlehem and the like. This re-issue has arrived at the perfect time to rekindle the fires of Silencer’s creativity and prepare us all for creator Nattramn’s new musical pursuit, Diagnose: Lebensgefahr. If there are any strands of Silencer’s twisted brilliance lurking in the depths of this new bands creativity, then that as well should be another release to become consumed by. If you missed out on Silencer the first time, now is the time to correct such a grievous error. – Marty
AUTOPSY KITCHEN RECORDS
Worm Gear 