"No future for Finland's dreaming", to slightly misquote Mr. Johnny Rotten? except there might be after all. The stories told on the new Rapture album may convey a hopeless message, but that is one adjective which just doesn't apply when speaking of the quality of delivery of "Silent Stage"

Two albums and it still rains in Helsinki? Rapture may be something of an undiscovered gem, but album three proves they are here to stay. Who knows, with a little luck Rapture ought to see their small but loyal fanbase enjoy some serious (and well deserved growth)

To call "Silent Stage" mere melodic death metal is a convenient half-truth made entirely irrelevant by a few spins of the disc. Comparisons to the "Brave Murder Day" era Katatonia or classic Paradise Lost are nor entirely baseless, yet Rapture are by no means painting themselves to a corner: sipping deep from the same cup of melancholy just happens to come with the territory. The emphasis is squarely on music and not flashy individual performances, as the band would probably be quick to point out. Rapture do not muck around with a thousand styles either. "Silent Stage" is a solid album by a band confident in their craft.

Rapture paint with bleak shades yet with clarity second to none. The main songwriter Tomi Ullgren's soaring guitar leads are tempered with powerful growls courtesy of Petri Eskelinen, a nod to their underground roots perhaps, yet they do nor shy away from clearer vocals should the occasion demands. The beguiling mid-tempo employed is a slow acting poison: you will be hooked before you know. In live situation Rapture reproduce their timeless sound with a line-up of eight personnel.

Taken from Spinefarm's promo sheet 2005