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SILENT KNIGHT
Full Force

Self-released (2022)
Rating: 6.5/10

Silent Knight is a Perth, Australia-based power metal act with a line-up of Dan Brittain (vocals), Stu McGill (rhythm guitar / vocals), Cam Nicholas (lead guitar), Cameron Daw (bass) and Dan Grainger (drums).

Eight tracks are on offer here, all rather standard yet melodic metal workouts licked by searing lead work from Cam Nicholas. I also like the punchy vocal chops which at their most savage lean towards an almost thrashy charge and they are then more suited to the more aggressive songs, such as the title track which is a furious charge into modern thrash dynamics and is my favourite cut on the album.

Full Force is a crisp if at times mechanical sounding record, but that’s mostly due to the mix of drums. However, those with a fondness for battle-worn, chest-pounding metal will devour the fantasy-inspired lyrics and the driving rhythms.

‘Screaming Eagle’ is another standout tune, again bolstered by the fire and melody of the lead and those sizzling riffs, and ‘Awakening’ is a fine example of the band getting it right with their soaring melodies and that Euro-Goth power metal feel fused with thrash metal velocity.

The only time I’m really left gritting my teeth is on the rather cold ‘Create A New World’, although that’s only with its initial swirls and those crescendos of glossiness. But Silent Knight, even when marrying the two styles, remain steely and there’s no better example than on ‘The Last Candle Burns’ where the band gallops at such a speed but still implements those symphonic rises.

Admittedly, this is not stuff I can listen to frequently, but when it does enter my eardrums I try to be as honest as I can and I see an appeal here to anyone who likes their metal energetic. Full Force is the band’s fourth full-length release and I don’t see them shifting out of their dynamic, and I say fair play to them for it.

Neil Arnold

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