Metalcore quartet sprout fifth with jarring landscape, SUPERBLOOM. //

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OVERVIEW

Every once in a while, wildflowers will grow en masse in the Californian desert. Known as superbloom, the phenomena paints lush colours across a traditionally barren landscape. Silent Planet’s grow to form throughout the years almost mirrors this very phenomenon.

Establishing themselves as firm favourites in ’09 in the heavy metalcore scene, their stark embezzlements and hypnotic hooks are steeped in hardcore, post-rock, metal and misty ambience. In scooping up every inspirational quota under the sun within these genres, Silent Planet have amassed a diehard fanbase from all corners of metal.

Simply put, this new work is damn filthy. An album epic in scope, the songs bleed in one another expertly with many-a sound explored in each. For many old-school fans, there may be some bitter disappointment in the lack of prog availability, but it’s safe to say that SUPERBLOOM more than makes it up for it, in it’s sheer ambiguity and unearthly textures. Both album title, artwork and intro set the scene: abandoned on a otherworldly planet uncertain of your apparent escape but certain on total desolation. Think Dead Space on Red Planet.

SONG-TO-SONG

You don’t need to be a die-hard fan to experience just what Silent Planet are trying to achieve here. Out with the nuanced melodies of past for some, in with the thall Doom-esque soundtrack bound for Hell for many. There’s still traces of old SP matter, however, with Collider extending into the catchy euphoria of Pendulum while lead focus of Antimatter tarnishes the brush with something a bit more sinister; with that shivering synth. The cleaner vocals of Garrett take over; “the dust hasn’t settled, but we feel the decay.” Offworlder certainly sets the scene with its hypnotic wave lines, throbbing riffs and jittery drums – something that is pleasantly unsettling to listen to. Dreamwalker is every bit post-rock as it is hardcore. It’s hideously punchy with a riff that is equally filthy..and is certainly a contender to repeat. Nexus is a satisfactory screamo checklist – a barren wall of noise that will tickle the membranes of any metal fan. With a band so familial to their album closers, SUPERBLOOM had to meet its markup of Iridescent’s closer in 2021; and that it does. A gorgeous embrace marking the end to an otherwise strong SP album.