Band:	Platitude
Album:	Silence Speaks
Style:	Neoclassical power metal
Release date:	February 2006

01. Tell The Truth
02. Silence Speaks
03. Nobody's Hero
04. Empty Inside
05. Fear (It's Over Now)
06. Don't Be Afraid
07. Falling Down
08. After The Storm
09. Walk With Me
10. You
11. Catch 22 [acoustic version] [Japanese bonus]

The Swedish Power Metal band Platitude returns here with their third album and the first thing you'll notice is that the album is more Heavy Metal orientated than Neoclassical Power. They are still playing powerful and speedy tracks here are there though, like the title track "Silence Speaks".

The wide ranged vocals of Erik Blomkvist are amazing; very melodic and together with the high pitched screams he does, fit just great. The guitar work by Gustav Köllerström is very diverse; sometimes kind of heavy and sometimes Thrashy and powerful, similar to someone like Symphony X. He also performs amazing melodic solos along with the great keyboard feeling that Kristofer Von Wachenfeldt provides. Together they make the melodies so easy to listen to and they're highly enjoyable. The drums have a perfect kind of Progressive sound sometimes and it's too bad Andreas Brobjer left the band after this album. Of course the bass work by Patrik Janson is also outstanding. He is the only original musician; Platitude's guitarists, keyboarders and drummers have changed but in all of their albums they kept this line-up.

Unlike a lot of Power Metal bands, Platitude have very interesting lyrics, especially on Silence Speaks. They mainly concern certain states of mind and peoples challenges. The second half of the album sounds more like Power Metal with the songs "Don't Be Afraid" and "Walk With Me". These tracks are 100% Power Metal masterpieces. After those songs though the last track "You" (which happens to be my favourite on Silence Speaks) is pure Heavy Metal (and also really catchy).

The whole album is very catchy and solid. My favourite tracks are Silence Speaks, Don't Be Afraid, After The Storm, Walk With Me and You as I said before. Any Power, Heavy or Progressive Metal fan must hear this album, I really recommend it. Not a lot of Power Metal bands are this original nowadays. This album really deservers a high ranking.