"Blood Under Snow" is the self-released 5 song teaser EP from the Italian hard rock group SilentLie.
This is the second EP from the group which hails from Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Their first, "Behind My Face" proved to be something of a springboard for the band as the track "Silence Of The Mind" appeared on two different metal compilations ("The Funeral Vol. 2" and "Maximum "Rock Attack") and the tune "River Of Torment" was used on the soundtrack to the film "Blood Sisters".
With the sweet taste of success still fresh the band went into Palo Alto Studios in Triest and laid down the five tracks making up their follow-up EP "Blood Under Snow". The CD was subsequently mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland and a distribution deal was struck with Andromeda/Atomic Stuff Promotions.
While it's so easy to file and catalog most progressive metal bands under the umbrella of Dream Theater, SilentLie shifts away from the grandiose epic tracks associated with symphonic metal bands like Symphony X to shorter traditional hook laden rockers more in keeping with the sound established by the big-hair arena bands of the 80s'. Yet to be totally honest the echo of Dream Theater is never far away.
The music of SilentLie blends elements of modern dark Gothic rock with the rock and roll bombastic of bands like Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Poison, Lita Ford, Enuff Z' Nuff, Scorpions, Def Leppard, White Snake, and Heart who filled arenas and stadiums throughout the 80s' and 90s'.
Upon my first listen to the opening track "Regret" I assumed the lead vocalist was a male ... but to my amazement it was female vocalist Giorgia Sacco Taz. She belted it out with the gusto of Geoff Tate and a bit of a gender bending growl. But on the second track "While I Hurt Myself" it was apparent that the lead vocals were female, and at times I could detect a strong Lacuna Coil or Evanescence quality in the music. Giorgia Sacco Taz has an amazing range of emotions in her voice which perfectly matches the power and passion in the music of SilentLie. At any given time she can gender bend her voice to sound like John Bon Jovi, Kip Winger (Winger), Lita Ford, Ann Wilson (Heart), Amy Lee (Evanescence), Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), or Joan Jett.
The band is tight, talented, and another example of Italy's growing prominence in the prog metal field.
Members of the band include: Lugi Pressacco (guitar), David Sportiello (bass, keyboards), Andrea Piergianni (drums), and Giorgia Sacco Taz (vocals).
I look forward to their first full length album.
Reviewed by Joseph Shingler on May 20th, 2014
