Silver Knife, hailing from Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, was formed in 2020 and features members from bands such as Laster, Oerheks, Wolvennest, Lure, and Deadspeak — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Listing all the bands and projects these musicians have been involved in would take quite a while. One thing, however, is absolutely certain: what is presented here is exceptionally compelling and immersive Post-Black Metal.
While I personally find that the line between Post-Black Metal and Atmospheric Black Metal can often be very thin, Silver Knife succeeds in combining the best of both worlds. Their music is rich with lush melodies and a strong sense of drama that immediately seeps under the listener’s skin. The long, elaborately crafted riffs unfold slowly yet powerfully, supported by a wonderfully present and clear bassline that adds extra depth and dynamics to the overall sound.
The drums, with their slightly muffled but natural tone, provide a solid and organic foundation over which the rest of the instrumentation can truly flourish. Above it all, the vocalist screams his lungs out, delivering a raw emotional intensity that fits perfectly with the gripping, often melancholic atmosphere of the music.
The production is deliberately left somewhat unpolished, which enhances the raw authenticity of the sound. Silver Knife manages to sound both monumental and fragile; their music constructs towering walls of sound that alternate between overwhelming and deeply intimate. It’s clear that these musicians know how to blend atmosphere, emotion, and power into a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts.
Through this approach, Silver Knife effortlessly stands out in the increasingly crowded post-black metal landscape. Fans of bands like Wiegedood, the heavier side of Alcest, or Amiensus will undoubtedly find much to love here.
What stands out most with Silver Knife is the almost dreamlike atmosphere the band manages to create, even during the most aggressive passages. Take a track like “Restless Blight”: despite its fierce intensity and underlying rage, the piece exudes a certain serenity. It’s a subtle, almost paradoxical balance between chaos and calm that the band skillfully achieves — a testament to refined songwriting and a strong sense of dynamics. This delicate equilibrium is seamlessly continued and even expanded upon in the following track, “Techne,” where the interplay between brute energy and meditative ambiance remains intact.
However, those fearing that Silver Knife might lose themselves purely in atmospheric realms can rest easy. The speed, aggression, and biting intensity remain firmly embedded throughout the record. What sets the band apart is their ability to wield these elements in a way that never descends into mere chaos; instead, the music has a purifying effect, like a storm cleansing the soul.
With “Transfiguration,” the sound shifts slightly: here Silver Knife leans more into a traditional black metal approach, with straightforward, furious riffs, direct drum patterns, and raw energy that harken back to the early 2000s. Bands like Weakling, Leviathan, and Deathspell Omega come to mind — pioneers who expanded the genre’s boundaries. Yet even here, Silver Knife remains true to their atmospheric core, blending traditional ferocity with the dreamlike undercurrent that defines their style.
The true climax of the album arrives with the closing track, “Triumph of Tragedy,” an epic composition spanning over twelve minutes. Here, the musicians pull out all the stops. The song effortlessly weaves between overwhelming force and moments of introspective stillness, maintaining a compelling tension throughout. For a track of such length to captivate from beginning to end is an achievement in itself. It feels like a journey: intense, immersive, and emotionally charged, building towards a majestic and cathartic finale.
With this second album under the Silver Knife banner, the band proves that they are far from being just another name in the flood of modern releases. On the contrary, they deliver an impressive, layered, and deeply moving work that will appeal not only to fans of post-black and atmospheric black metal, but also to anyone in search of that rare fusion of rage, beauty, and emotional depth.
90/100
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