Band:	Scream Silence
Album:	To Die For...
Style:	Gothic metal
Release date:	1999

01. Lost Children
02. Promise
03. Deliverance
04. Immortal
05. Vampyr
06. Illumination
07. Secret
08. Twilight
09. Dust Of Souls
10. To Die For
11. To Die For [Acoustic version]

Back in 1998 the world was becoming aware of the birth of a brilliant gothic rock/metal act that made its humble appearance to the scene with their first demo. One year passed and "To Die For?" saw the gloomy light of moonshine, the debut album of this German gothic act was reality and above all it presented the band to the audience in the most appropriate way. The album received strong and good critics in the music press and everything seemed really promising even from their very beginning, a promise they kept throughout the years up to nowadays with the fabulous "Saviourine" (2006).

An influence that someone may notice, at times more intense at others more slight, has to be one of the gothic rock/metal pioneers of the German scene, Dreadful Shadows (that sadly no longer exist), in terms of atmosphere, song structure and overall feeling. But beware, we're not talking about a copy band, Scream Silence have their influences, they respect them, but from a moment and on they tend to form their own sound, their very own atmosphere and emotions, something that started becoming more and more obvious as years started passing be, reaching nowadays having a recognizable personal sound.

The guitar work and the whole feeling is based on gothic rock, definitely, but the guitars tend to sound really heavy lending a metal-driven edge to the compositions, making Scream Silence sound far better than most of the gothic metal acts. And the fact that makes the compositions sound more metallic, apart from the distortion of the guitars whenever it is need for them to sound more powerful, has to be the production of the album, it lends a more vivid and powerful edge to the sound of the band, apparently! The rhythm section lends the ideal groove to the compositions, especially the bass lines have that creepy sound I definitely adore (just listen to "Vampyr", the bass lines pace with the haunting atmosphere of the song!). The keyboard melodies are haunting, utterly atmospheric, at times emotional and fragile, at others threatening and nightmarish, keeping a variety of atmosphere that is always beautiful to cherish. Hardy Fieting, the vocalist, has to be one of the best vocalists around in the German scene (I place him along with Sven Friedrich, Torben Wendt and Adrian Hates), utterly emotional, creating visions of melancholy with his heart-rending interpretation and giving life to the poetic and sorrow-filled lyrics of the band in the most appropriate way.

A very strong part of the overall aesthetic of Scream Silence have to be their lyrics, they are utterly poetic, weaving small stories of melancholy, tear-filled romance and even nightmarish and horror-filled ones (just like the stories in "Vampyr" and "Lost Children"). The lyrics complete the gothic concept of Scream Silence in the most appropriate way, lending them the element that will make them even stronger with no doubt.

If you want a fabulous debut album and at the same time great release from one of the most promising acts of the last ten years then "To Die For?" is an album for you, it's emotional, heavy enough and above all inspired. Just proceed?

Highlights: The haunting "Lost Children", the emotional and fragile "To Die For" (both versions), the Dreadful Shadows oriented "Immortal", the upbeat and emotional "Promise" etc