Silverstein — A Shipwreck In The Sand

A Shipwreck In The Sand

Victory

Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

04/08/2009 1:56pm

It's hard to believe Silverstein have been around for nearly a decade now, but they've reached the point where they can take a few chances here and there (of course, bear in mind this is a screamo band). That comes across on this fourth album.

Opener "A Great Fire" is probably the heaviest thing they've ever done and recalls "Bleeds No More" from their When Broken Is Easily Fixed debut. "Vices" has ridiculously over-the-top emo lyrics ("I'm not coming home tonight/I'd rather sleep on the street/I'm not coming home tonight/I don't want to sleep with the devil") and the guest appearance from Cancer Bats' Liam Cormier pretty much guarantees it's going to be a hit in one scene or another.

The first six tracks up to "I Knew I Couldn't Trust You" are incredibly strong and are a move back to the sound of 2005's Discovering The Waterfront. It's a welcome change and not a regression in musical talent. Guitarists Neil Boshart and Josh Bradford can still shred math rock-inspired post-hardcore riffs better than anyone else in their genre.

But things get a bit muddy halfway through the album with the title track, a spoken-word piece about a ship mutiny. This is a bit jarring, given that the record is split into four sections ("It Burns Within Us All," "Liars, Cheaters And Thieves," "Fight Fire With Fire" and "Death And Taxes") that are supposed to tell one story.

Since the "story" up to this point has consisted of vocalist Shane Told's usual topics of betrayal, cheating and lies, it could be a metaphor. But the track still isn't really effective, especially since it's followed by two of the weakest songs Silverstein have ever written, "You're All I Have" and "We Are Not The World."

Things pick up a bit with "A Hero Loses Everyday," which features a guest appearance from LIGHTS. It's a good way to close the record, even though it can't help but remind one of similar female cameos on (terrible) records by From Autumn To Ashes, for instance. That said, it's much better.

This isn't Silverstein's best, but it's a big step up from 2007's kind of lacklustre Arrivals & Departures.

Get it from