'Silent Revenants' is a German group who have just signed with the label 'WormHoleDeath' who are reissuing their second album 'The Withering Of The Blue Flower', originally self-produced, their first album 'Walk With Fire' dating from 2018. Led by guitarist 'Julian Kirschbaum' who provides most of the compositions and by singer 'Denise Schlahn' who also plays the bagpipes and flute, they offer us a symphonic metal tinged with folk brought in part by violinist 'Elora Dönnebrink', the rest of the line up being made up of keyboardist 'Marina Grave', bassist 'Hermann Remmers' who also sprinkles some compositions with his growls and drummer 'Julien Buchholz'.
The theme of the album is based on the blue flower evoking the era of romanticism and from the start, with the eponymous title of the album, we have a good overview of this symphonic style with epic orchestral arrangements and an original construction with rhythmic breaks and alternations of intensity, muscular guitar riffs alongside much softer sections in which 'Denise Schlahn' shows all her vocal talent. Follows 'Searching For Eden' which continues in this catchy symphonic metal and the violin brings a festive folk side, making me think in certain places of their compatriots from 'Coronatus'. With 'Flesh Golem', we continue in metal/folk on a mid-tempo with a well-defined rhythm, the melody coming directly into the head, then, 'Embers' adds a catchy title, the violin always bringing this side radiant but also the romantic side in the central break. Completely out of step with the rest but very original, 'Will-o'-the-Wisp' takes us into a jazz box with a first part beautifully led by the sensual singing of 'Denise Schlahn', the second part returning to a more conventional style with the return of guitar riffs on a mid-tempo highlighting new catchy melodic lines. Make way for 'Siren' which offers us an introduction to oriental sounds and which could have been the subject of a single due to its very danceable aspect, then, 'Storm Witches' also offers a festive atmosphere with the contribution of the flute with very high tones bringing the folk side and can recall certain sounds of 'Faun' in a more muscular atmosphere. With 'Horizons', we continue with this melodic metal/folk in a dancing atmosphere led by the bagpipes and the violin, then, 'Let the Dragons Fly Forever' (see the video above) begins as a ballad then takes flight afterwards for a light and joyful melody in which 'Hermann Remmers' adds some angry growls. And finally, we cannot remain indifferent to 'Orphaned Angels' which tells the story of 'Janusz Korczak', this pediatrician and director of an orphanage during the war who accompanied more than one hundred and forty orphans to the extermination camp in Treblinka so that they are not left alone to face their fate: in the form of a poignant ballad, 'Julian Kirschbaum' reminds us of this tragic story allowing us to perpetuate this memory so as never to forget, the magnificent ending falling in a few notes piano adding to this extreme emotional force.
In summary, the Germans from 'Silent Revenants' released an excellent album of symphonic metal adding a good dose of folk which brings real originality and sets them apart from other groups of this style and 'The Withering Of The Blue Flower' should appeal to a fairly wide metal audience because everything is done to offer us melodic lines accessible from the first listen... | |
