Band:	Rapture
Album:	Silent Stage
Style:	Melodic death metal, Doom metal
Release date:	March 07, 2005
A review by:	Undercraft

01. Misery 24/7
02. The Past Nightmares
03. I Am Complete
04. For The Ghosts Of Our Time
05. Silent Chrysalis Stage
06. Dreaming Of Oblivion
07. The Times We Bled
08. Cold On My Side
09. Completion

This is turning to be one of the best years for Metal, one great release after another and Rapture is no exception, this is an absolutely killer album. But first let me tell you a little about the band in case you haven't heard about them. This is the third album of these Finns, previous album 2002's "Songs For The Withering" was praised by press worldwide, they were compared with Paradise Lost and Katatonia ("Brave Murder Day" era), comparisons not far from the truth.

The band relies in catchy melodies countered by gloomy passages, clear vocals versus guttural vocals. The whole Cd is a duel between relaxed, melodic parts and slow melancholic sections. Think it as Melodic Death Metal meets Doom.

The album starts shredding apart your ears with "Misery 24/7" a powerful track with great vocals (only guttural on this one), the main lead of the song is really catchy, whether is fast or slow paced? depending on the moment. Next is "The Past Nightmares" a killer song, here is where you'll hear the clean vocals for the first time, and they're totally amazing, the song starts fast and aggressive and then becomes really paused and melancholic and then again speeds things up, a beautiful contrast.

"I Am Complete" is the most accessible song for general audiences, (I'm not using the term "commercial") is a great song and there's a big chance that your non-Metal friends will like it. "For The Ghosts Of Our Time" is an instrumental track, while "Silent Chrysalis Stage" is a Melodeath song with some gloomy clear passages, "Dreaming Of Oblivion" is a song with many tempo changes and again great vocals (both harsh and clean).
"The Times We Bleed" and "Cold On My Side" follow the same line that previous songs, while closer "Completion" is truly a Doom song, pounding slow rhythms grant a perfect ending for this masterpiece.

Definitively this album will please Metalheads from all genres, if you like Death Metal, you'll like this, if you like Doom, get this! even if you like Gothic Metal try this one. Rapture has created truly something for everyone here, hope this album marks the beginning of Rapture's career, because after 3 albums is time to get out of the shadows