Label: Satanath Records / The End Of Time Records / Hypnotic Dirge Records
Date: May 30th, 2022
At first I was afraid. I was petrified. Kept thinking… Didn’t anyone take a look at the cover artwork prior to the release of this record? It is weird, to say the least. Unfitting to what’s on the disc itself. It’s supposed to be a doom / death metal album, but the cover suggests some sort of a… Stoner? Psychedelic stuff perhaps? Some occult cosmic wandering? Who knows!? I really don’t get it.
Luckily, when one looks past the painting, there’s a real possibility of finding something interesting. But first a sort of a formal introduction into Тишина. This is a debut album by a band formed by the leading member of a Serbian melodic death / black metal band Bane, now residing in Canada. Actually, this might be considered a project, considering the fact that Mr. Panić is the only member of the band. Semantics, basically. On “Увод...“ he used the abilities of his long-time conspirator from Czech Republic, Mr. Honza Kapák, who handled the drums as well as mixing and mastering of the record in his own Hellsound Studio. Now that I think of it, Mr. Kapák’s recognizable style of drumming is somewhat lacking on this record, but more on that later on.
Essentially, like I mentioned above, this is an album that runs along the lines of doom / death metal. Like the band from which Mr. Panić originated, it is fairly melodic, but still melancholic enough and even more importantly, it remains on the extreme side of metal music and keeps the necessary heaviness. Another “guest” member would be Mr. Predrag Rava who handled the lyrics which suit perfectly to the “subject” offered in the music itself. What’s more, the lyrics are in Serbian which is a novelty in Mr. Panić’s creations. Imaginative as he proved to be on his previous efforts, he fitted them nicely within the weight of the world laying on their shoulders.
Now, the fact remains that “Увод...” is a well-crafted record, made by a person long enamoured with the genre at hand. Bands such as Katatonia, Tiamat, or October Tide are correct pointers to what Тишина stands for. Basically, all the most relevant names in this musical field are well respected and their legacy followed. And here’s the key word: followed.
The record does present a fine dose of creativity, but it still follows too closely in the footsteps of the greats. It is filled with predictable solutions with expected outcomes. It is exactly what the die-hard fans want, without much swerving around. Granted, like I said, the imagination is used (and used well) in crafting fine segments, neat guitar leads and bass accentuations. Avoiding the use of keyboards certainly left the tonnage of music intact, as does the vocal in dismissing the clean voice. Drums are perhaps the most “disappointing” aspect of the release. I know Mr. Kapák’s style in his many previous appearances. He has a distinct ability to play around the set, thus making any song as dynamic and versatile as possible, no matter the genre. However, I have a feeling he too just wanted to fall in line with the bare necessities of the genre at hand.
All that being said, you should not consider “Увод...” a failure. Not in the least bit. I mean, everything is in its right place on this record. It promises enjoyable time during the audition, particularly if you’re a big fan of doomy death metal and the bands mentioned above. Тишина offers just about enough of what you’re hoping for. Nothing less, but unfortunately nothing more. A doom / death metal album you’re used to hearing.
