by Dan Skiba
— Staff Writer —
Pyrogenesis is a Progressive Metal band out of Germany, and A Silent Soul Screams Loud is their 3rd album of a 3-part “Steampunk Trilogy”. This opus deals with the change of the society in the 19th century. Topics include (amongst others) Napoleon’s reign, Sigmund Freud’s revolutionary views, Horror as entertainment, Darwinism, and of course Karl Marx’s views on government and economics. Heavy stuff, to say the least, especially for a “young” band.
Production-wise, this album is a masterpiece. First, the drums and bass are likely to destroy your subwoofer. There are conventional beats, but more than occasionally Jan Rathje shifts on a dime to thunderous blast beats that may cause your heart to skip out of rhythm. Second, the guitar segments by Thilo Schmidt are raw yet magnificently clear and invigorating. Lastly, Flo V. Schwarz at the microphone brings a youthful, yet clean and mature feel to the vocals.
Concept albums often trip when trying to pair telling a story with melodic catchiness. No such concerns here … out of the 8 tracks, 6 of them easily can be extracted from the story and stand proud on their own.
Another problem often inherent in concept albums are songs that are just too damn long and contain unnecessary wading. Again, no such problem here as each song (besides “The Capital”) clock in under 5 minutes. The closing/title track is a 14+ minute majestic and magical journey that takes you many places and creates many images … all with a host of inspiring musical performances by each band member … and again, absolutely stellar production.
If you’re a Progressive Metal fan, then A Silent Soul Screams Loud is a must buy and displays all things “great” in Progressive Metal. If you’re not a big Progressive Metal fan, but enjoy Metal that is well-produced and simply sounds great, then you owe it to yourself to at least check out this record … start out with “The Capital” … and see if you are compelled to delve into more.
Genres: Progressive Metal
Band:
Flo V. Schwarz – Vocals/Guitar
Thilo Schmidt – Guitar
Malte Brauer – Bass
Jan Rathje – Drums
Tracklisting:
Survival Of The Fittest
Mother Bohemia
I Can’t Breathe (Prologue)
I Can’t Breathe (Monoliogue)
High Old Times
Modern Prometheus
Will I Ever Feel The Same
The Capital (A Silent Soul Screams Loud)
Label:
AFM Records
Website:
pyogenesis.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(8.5 / 10)
