Silent Exile
Dancing with Death

August 2000
Released: 2000, Independent/Naivlys Music
Rating: 5.0/5
Reviewer: Waspman

Wow! I haven't heard a new prog-band this good for a long time; let along one that's not from Europe! These guys are from la belle province of Quebec, and are damn good! The band plays a brand of prog-metal that is similar to Images & Words-era Dream Theater, but they manage to do it without the blatantly ripping them off. So basically, you know that you're going to get highly melodic metal, laced with keyboards and heavenly vocals. To change the format of reviews, I'm gonna state right off the bat, prog fans need this album! Screw all that rip-off shit that's out there right now, this is the real thing.



"Walls of Society" starts the album in a more aggressive fashion, proving that these guys aren't afraid to get heavy when the time calls for it. No pussies here! (no offense ladies…). "Stratosphere" is a slower track that shows off the immense vocals of Chriss J.Y. This guy is fantastic! "Broken Dreams" is a touching ballad that, had it been released in the 80's would have been a smash hit worldwide - a truly great, heartfelt song! Again, Chriss takes center stage and doesn't disappoint, turning in a memorable performance.



"On the Hill" picks up the pace again, this time allowing the other musicians in the band a chance to shine. Namely, guitarist Fabrice Blanchet shows that there are other great prog guitarists other than John Petrucci. "Glase Maakerstraat" is an epic of a song, with some really cool interplay between the guitars and keyboards, making the 8+ minutes seem like 4. Really, that is the strength of this band; the ability to write long, complex songs that whiz buy as if they were pop hits, while still sounding technical and cool. Fittingly, the closing duo that comprises the "Images of War" save some of the band's best ideas until the end, making a perfect closing combo to the album. A great find, and one that I hope will be around for many years to come! Contact: silent_exile@hotmail.com http://www.silentexile.com