Fellsilent "Fell Silent" (2004)

 

  To round out the nostalgic dive into a legendary local scene band, I managed to scrape together two of the three songs that made up their first demo! I'd never heard this these songs before and initially they sounded stylistically different from the Djent beast they would become. The tone of Metal at play was surprisingly really fitting of the local scenes of the time, getting away from the shadow Nu Metal and reinventing the wheel with a strong Metalcore influence. I even have some CD-R demos that sound not far from whats at play here.

Yet to master the Djent tone, the group have a shorter measure of polyrhythms in the guitar riffing, playing out stomping grooves with tightly picked riffs often dizzying around single notes and bends. After an analytical listen one can see the path they took. At this stage their songs are strong, decent but yet to be exceptional. The Meshuggah influence not so obvious. They do however have the songwriting to lead their collection of choppy riffs to climaxes as both the songs led to a satisfying conclusion.

Singer Neema Askari has yet to knuckle down that bleak forceful tone in his screaming and so sounds rather amateurish in that typical feel of local bands. His cleans however are far more emotive and expose a chemistry that prevails to their later work. Both the songs I heard are fantastic and grow fondly with many repetitions. It may not have been obvious at the time the potential this group of young lads had but all the pieces are there in one form or another.

 Its really uncanny just how much it all reminds me the other bands in the scene of this era but perhaps not so given how in the early naughties we were still mostly geographically defined, even though the internet culture was starting to blossom. Such a treat to enjoy but more so for personal reasons. This demo is a fine starting point for the band and on a final note, very well produced for a scene demo! Its a great listen, wish I could just find that third track!

Rating: 4/10

Fellsilent "The Hidden Words" (2008)

With The Double A being my go too record for youthful nostalgia, memories of this, the bands debut album, are somewhat foggy. I seem to remember its release closely linked to their announced split but these events were over a year apart. Whatever I thought beforehand, returning to The Hidden Words as been another delight from a group I'm keenly fond of. Its amazing how much time has lapsed and love not lost!

The album essentially feels like an extension of the EP, four original tracks, four new and three "linking" interludes has the band simply expand on the persona established. One big change is the arrival of a second vocalist who slips in almost unnoticed. With a similar tone and candour to his partner Neema Askari, Joe Garrett feels neither essential or overlooked, his inclusion works without any bright sparks of ingenuity.

As with the EP, Fellsilent slap together an arsenal of pelting Djent riffs, loaded with groove and rhythm that plays between atmospheric and melodic trade offs. They move from pummelling metallic assaults to steadying backdrop shuffling fretwork as their dynamism flourishes in these mostly straight forward song structures. Often do they keenly lead to a belting breakdown to slam your head along with! The linking instrumentals also serve up riffing delights with infusions of acoustic string plucking.

Returning to this record gave me a greater appreciation for the balance of complexity when chopping up polymetered grooves into 4/4 patterns. So sweetly do they push both angles. The power and persuasion of rhythm is without any burden yet many riffs have puzzling arrangements. Like with Meshuggah I am sure the mystery would unravel a little learning to play their songs on guitar, something I hope to find time for!

Its such a shame this was the end of the road. The band certainly materialised a fine execution of sound and style but where to go from here? Who knows... In all likelihood it may have never surpassed this moment given how fantastic they where at this point, perhaps they exhausted all they had? I remember the statement at the time indicating that everyone involved felt like they had seen it through and wanted to move on. Some music elitists make comments like "they should of quit after XYZ". Maybe that's exactly what these guys did? Go out on top.


Rating: 9.5/10 

Fellsilent "The Double A" (2006)

Forever immortalized in my memory, local Metal outfit Fellsilent represented an exciting time in the musical adventure, as me and my friends started visiting our local Metal bars and clubs. At our first outing these polyrhythmic Djent brutes stole my heart! It was at a time when Meshuggah where still yet to gain their status as extreme innovators and pioneers of a new sound. Finding a local act embracing this sound and executing it with utter class just felt like a match made in heaven. Never has a revisit to this glorious era ever failed me and my recent dive into Catch Thirtythree of the same time had me reveling in the demos and this four track EP again!

 The band have a instinct for big lurking riffs that slog out grooves with a mechanical coldness. Soft melodies seep in through gleaming acoustics, Post-Rock guitar ambience and subtle shifts in tone as a colorful notes align themselves alongside these beastly marches of stomping metallic bludgeoning. The balance in complexity is inviting, keeping polyrhythms locked in the 4/4 bar makes it easy to follow and all the more infectious! Every song has a keen cut of riffs to fit into typical song structures but always do they lead to some form of mammoth peak or breakdown in the final third.

All four songs are superb. Silence Is The Loudest Cry For Help a timeless lyrics that conveys an emotional current to its otherwise chromatic, relentless, battering aesthetic. The vocals add to this grey onslaught. Neema Askari has a distinctly flat and harsh approach, straining his chords with some personality. When they open into uplifting clean sections the relief is simply brilliant. Again its all put together with that final third of a song ascending to its peak and their is no exception.

This band is so ingrained into my being. They were like an illusive beast we never saw again for years as the shows just didn't seem to line up. I think we eventually got to see them again with Enter Shikari a couple more times before they split up in 2010. Its a shame but not all bands make it. Despite being utterly brilliant the stars didn't align and so its likely they will be buried by time and dust a little fast than most but if you love Djent, do yourself a favor and give this record a try! Its a gem!

Rating: 8/10