As the author of “Verge Of Emotion” and the only participant of Silivren Max Bogachev says, the material from his project was originally conceived as vocal-instrumental, but due to some insurmountable difficulties, the band's debut EP and the current long-play were completely instrumental. Personally, I am only glad to this circumstance. The fact is that the music of the composition is so ethereal and airy, that if it is framed with lyrics and words, then this verbal facade should be recorded exclusively in Sindarin, Quendi or some other magical language, and the vocal tracks should have been no weaker. than with Almora or Caprice, to achieve something with a limited budget and funds would be difficult.

Magic, elves, distant worlds - such associations come to mind when you begin to get acquainted with the work of Silviren. If two years ago, during the time of their debut, the team clearly relied on heavy and power metal, now the composition of the sound palette has been greatly enriched by the influences of folk, neo-classical and new age, and metal as such has faded into second or even third plan, giving way more compromise genres. As you probably already understood, the track names are the same Sindarin, and the album as a whole resembles the soundtrack to the astral journey through lost unknown landscapes somewhere in the parallel Universe, where everything is shrouded in drowsy haze, and all the most impossible is possible.

The opening CD “Rin” is a kind of intro in which echoes of music from old Soviet films and the works of Russian minstrels are heard. And this is not a minus at all. This parallel does not indicate the low quality and artistry of the arrangements, but the genuine sincerity and inspired faith in their work, due to which the “Rin” tube plays start to sound even more crafting and shrill. The next second number “Aearon” is much more pretentious and even pompous, but due to its not too long duration it doesn’t bother you too much, but is perceived as a transition or a bunch like those found in such a considerable number on the 1998 Blind Guardian album.

“Baul” is already frankly experimental, and against the background of profound searching, quite angular and even illogical guitar insinuations are heard here, which, however, is easily balanced by much more traditional and familiar harmonies of the following “Calar”, which sounds like it is performed by some kind of quite bluesy-looking elf-like Gary Moore, who in the middle of the track begins to play along with out of nowhere Satriani. Alas, these satrian-like parts sound the weakest here, and their experimentation can be easily mistaken for an inept desire to imitate the masters and virtuosos, which ultimately makes “Calar” the weakest track on the album.

But electric art-rock / art-metal "Caum" is perceived more interesting and advantageous, which is largely achieved through an unusual sound. “Eluidor” returns the listener to the more traditional elven sound prairies, from which the disc started, and as you listen to this composition, it’s hard to disagree that if “Verge Of Emotion” were recorded from beginning to end in precisely this way, it would be much more holistically, professionally and presentable, but - apparently, the author did not want to be satisfied with simply reproducing the sublime ones of the children of the moonlight, but decided to go further and deeper into the experiments, which made the disc so diverse and unpredictable.

The mystical “Estel” is good, tall and cold as Moria’s marble vaults, gazing a little sadly, covered with a veil of gaze upon random travelers, foolishly entering into the black corridors of the damned possessions of dwarves, x, “Naergon” clearly breathes folk, “Gilgalad” will once again remind of the “hard” past of the mastermind of the project, although it will not break into the cliché of a typical power metal, and the final record “Electric Guitar Concerto In a Minor” is a traditional neoclassical etude in trad tions Carcassi and Segovia, playing the electric guitar. The magic and references to the Professor are no longer here, but there is only beautiful, though not the most immaculate, guitar work and free flight of musical thought.

Summarize. Before us is a very good album of sublime near-fantasy music, which will surely appeal to lovers of strange creatures with pointed ears and an irresistible inclination to music and tastings. The author’s decision to completely abandon metal is clearly perceived as correct and adequate (sound of his material, freed from metallic clichés and distortion which is not perfect for the sound, became much better and freer), but the experimental “Baul”, “Calar”, “ Caum ”,“ Gilgalad ”can be estimated from diametrically opposite positions. Someone will say (and rightly) that they spoil everything and only distract from sublime reflections, and someone (no less reasoned and fair) will argue that they have the juice here, since they are the freshest, nonlinear and unpredictable.

Personally, I liked both the silivren ambient-newage tracks, and his arto-rock experiments. Unfortunately, in the second case, the sound is far from ideal, which somewhat hinders the adequate perception of the compositions, however, a patient and attentive listener will surely get to the “essence” in these tracks and be able to try out their experimental charm. Comparing “Verge Of Emotion” with Almora or Caprice is not worth it, but for those who like BitachI, Relos, Faith, Tram Fantasia and beautiful guitar music in general, the peer-reviewed album may fall just in time. Of the minuses, I note the sound of guitars, the lack of integrity and the incompleteness of some tracks (“Caum”, for example), of the pluses are courage, creative boldness, purity of the author’s perception and desire to look for and find new things in the usual and long-established. As an arithmetic average I put 4 out of 5.

Alexey "Astarte Eel" Irineev

http://astartaview.ru/silivren-verge-of-emotion/