Silene - 107 Raven Road

I should start by stating that this is not a brand new release. This ep came out in 2006.But,on the other hand, there are some strong reasons suggesting that this gem should in fact be reviewed today. Silene are a band hailing from Finland.
Their craft is goth rock, of the highest calibre in my opinion. Something expected, since they shared some members with Two Witches, a band propably known to most goths. "107 Raven Road"was their first attempt, released by their own label, SLN. The whole artwork seems to be typical, for a goth rock band that is. But,one thing that someone can easily understand upon listening to this mini cd, is that Silene are so much more than a copycat of the usual gothic archetypes (may it be Sisters Of Mercy or Fields Of The Nephilim). They rely on tradition of course. Yet they manage to create their own brand of sound, adding personal touches without mesmerizing the final result in favour of some "modern" approach.

All 5 songs here display Silene's ability to compose catchy,dramatic tunes.Everything is in place here:female vocals which somehow characterize this band's sound,ethereal sounding guitars,distant melodies and an gloomy,kind of melancholic atmosphere through out this recording.The title track stands out based on very well played guitars and a combination of female vocals that build an excessive composition."Moonlight"is a highlight as well.Katrinka's voice is again the centre of attention here,backed by powerful,complex guitars,a persistent bass line and keyboards adding an epic,fragile note to the song.All in all,these 5 songs can certainly convince anyone that Silene surely love what they do and also have the potential to create something personal,something that indeed makes a difference to a scene that is suffering from lack of personality,or even faces mediocrity when it comes down to composing tunes.As is the case with all good eps,the only let down here is that it is too short:but that does not really count as a problem,does it?Anyway,what is most apparent here is that "107 Raven Road"is a very good release,that possesses a certain quality and charm.And thus,I would recommend it to people which still follow the goth rock scene.Even today,Silene still retain their freshness.

And that certainly is fine with me.

Tracklist:
1)107 Raven Road
2)Liberty
3)Dreams,part I
4)Moonlight
5)Dreams,part II

7.5/10  Isabelle S.