ReView: Then Comes Silence – Hunger0

Then Comes Silence
Album: Hunger
Category: Goth / Rock / Post-Punk
Label: Metropolis Records
Release Date: 2022-07-01

Coming into their first full decade of existence, Sweden’s Then Comes Silence has steadily built a respectable presence and brand in the modern day goth scene. While scarcely innovative, the band has refined its songwriting and style over the years, building a reputation for delivering solid slabs of goth/rock – a trend of reliability that continues with this sixth full-length album, Hunger.

“Tickets to Funerals” wastes no time setting the stage with brooding guitars slashing across a grooving bassline and Alex Svenson’s dark vocals crafting a gloomy atmosphere. “Rise to the Bait” follows in a similar vein, but with an even stronger chorus that finds Svenson leaning into dramatic lyrics without falling victim to the sort of over extravagance that has claimed many lesser acts. “Chain” is another strong contender, injecting bubbling electronics that play a perfect complement to the song’s potent guitar riffs. Even when Then Comes Silence plays it relatively straight as on tracks such as “Days and Years” or “Worm,” the sheer strength of the band’s craft comes through with solid hooks and vigorous performances.

10 years as a band is certainly something to celebrate, and Hunger is a worthy effort to mark such an occasion. As consistent as any document Then Comes Silence has yet released, Hunger reads as a consolidation of the group’s strengths, a finely etched dark jewel that anyone with an appreciation for goth/rock will surely admire.
 
Track list:

1. Ticket to Funerals
2. Rise to the Bait
3. Cold From Inside
4. Worm
5. Chain
6. Weird Gets Strange
7. Days and Years
8. Blood Runs Cold
9. Pretty Creatures
10. Close Shot
11. Unknowingly Blessed

 
Then Comes Silence
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Metropolis Records
Website, Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram
 
Ryan James (DreamXE)