I loved the new Silverstein for like two weeks.
The first taste of the record, “Bankrupt,” was released in 2021 and even made my top ten singles of the year in December. It was the first time in the history of the scene that I had witnessed a band claim their heaviest track was coming and they delivered on that promise. What I was expecting from the single was something along the lines of a Target commercial but what I got instead was a heavy, in your face, post-hardcore rager with killer parts and a huge message of fighting against those who do harm for profit. With this song in my ears, I was very much looking forward to the chapter it was attached to even if the band insisted it was stand alone.
Another single, “Ultraviolet,” is apparently doing well on rock radio though I’m not really plugged into that world so I can’t say for sure. Everything about the song is very easy to get into from the jammable intro to the easy and soothing vocal melodies. Aside from the pop structure though there is some serious post-hardcore approaches. That line; “if the current’s the cure” followed by the sound of a defibrillator being turned on but never quite resolving actually makes the sound effect hit harder, especially when it goes into the instrumental that it does.
Unfortunately this is where I have to criticize the record because it’s not enough that “Ultraviolet” is on here once, it makes three other appearances. The song “It’s Over” has some interesting vocal effects on a bridge, some cool guitar work and a cute reference to the band’s first record but other than that there’s nothing I can’t say that isn’t found on “Ultraviolet.” On “Slow Motion” there is an incredible feature from The Devil Wears Prada’s Mike Hranica who is enunciating so well that I can practically hear him spit in my ear and to be honest delivers one of his best performances in years. Not that I didn’t enjoy ZII but I feel a lot of TDWP now is just consistency, a perfect parallel to draw in this review. Other than that the vocal melody present is so similar to “Ultraviolet” that I’m almost ashamed of myself that I didn’t see it sooner. Then around “Don’t Wait Up” the similarities started to feel like a prank.
Admittedly I didn’t enjoy “Die Alone” as a single but in the heat of the record I actually think I like it more. There are a lot of interesting aspects to this one from the intense lyricism;
"We share a common enemy, it's everyone and everything."
To the amp feedback and general guitar working. It’s a perfect showing of exactly what it’s trying to be; a real deal hardcore song. Something I’ve always admired about this band is their ability to tap into that very era that they all seem to greatly enjoy. Hardcore music played in community centers and basements, records that they’ve put out like Rescue or Short Songs that tap into that very headspace and this track is a testament to the fact that they’ve mastered that and their own love for punk rock. The feature from Comeback Kid’s Andrew Neufeld is a perfect fit for the song and the spirit of what it’s going for as well. If I were to criticize anything about this track it’s that I don’t love the Wolves of Wall Street clip inserted in it.
I read a comment somewhere that said “Our Song” just sort of sounds like a warm up song that you watch on Warped Tour in the morning while you’re having a beer and to be honest? I agree entirely. Very digestible instrumental that sounds suited for outdoors. Very simple and easy to relate to. It even says the title of the album in its lyrics, calling a spade a spade, its basic. It is placed as track one so that you get excited. That and another deepcut; “Cold Blooded” is interesting in that I enjoy the percussion on it and its feature from Trevor Daniel. Not that he gives a standout performance or anything but I do enjoy the story about him being a fan of the band then connecting through his own music career and finding himself on their record.
While the band promised the heaviest song of their career with “Bankrupt,” they failed to consider “The Altar” was waiting in the wings and much more brutal. The two tracks have a through-line in calling out the evils of a capitalist society and how it often sells out its own. However, while “Bankrupt” is about fighting back against that, “The Altar” is about the mindset itself and the evils that it breeds. You reap what you sow and when what you reap is cold, mindless, mass profit, eventually that machine will collapse on itself and take something from you;
"Somebody has to die as a warning to the rest."
Aside from that, the song is metalcore as an art form. The instrumental on the bridge becomes a huge breakdown later on. Everything is so intricate and technical while being simple at the same time. Not only is it their heaviest, it may be their best. Period. Then midway through Paul Marc Rousseau delivers the best vocal feature on his own band’s record. My question here becomes; if we have a vocal talent this strong in our band, why is he not used more often? This is only the first of a couple times his voice shows up on the discography. Not just the talent in his voice but listen to what he’s saying;
“Oh lord, I wish that I could quit but the idol in the middle seems to rule with a fist
I’m not blind but my hands are tied
I’ll tint my lenses rose, I’m handing people hope, they’d rather make ends meet than meet their maker with a rope, right?
I’m not Satan, just a friend, so I might pay my penance when I get my dividend.”
Not only does he sound like a devil with his performance, it goes with everything I’m saying. Evil wants its money, it knows you need a drop from the bucket and doesn’t care what it will do to you, how it will hurt you, to get it.
The song, “Mary,” is slapped on the same track as “The Altar,” which makes sense given the ceremonious sonic themes to them. This one sounds like it’s being sung in a church especially with the way Shane Told’s vocals are produced here. I’m going to be honest it sort of breaks my heart that these grandiose performances found in these two songs are here, on this record. Do they fit in sequence? Sure, but it also feels like they don’t really go quality wise and only three songs on the whole record play in these spaces thematically. It’s sort of weird that we got here, if I’m being honest.
That’s sort of just it though, there isn’t a lot going on with this record. Things are just constantly recurring. I think the record is good but my impression of it being boundary pushing was totally premature of me to say. It seems as if they push a boundary one time and then stagnate from there. Not to let you in behind the curtain but I had sort of doubted myself that this was even a wise review to post but I’ve scheduled myself into a hole now. Misery Made Me has very few ideas and feels like a collection of singles, “The Altar,” a good Hranica feature as well as “Ultraviolet” and its many arrangements.
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