EP: “Enslaving Public” by Silverlith

Silverlith. How about it then? Well, four guys from Bournemouth, playing their own special brand of hard rock, have recently released a new five track EP entitled Enslaving Public. They’ve played venues such as Joiners, Private Parties all around the South, and even the 02 Academy in London, and I’m the one to be giving this the once over.

First impressions were good, the first track: “Death By Default” is really something a little different, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s a nice different. This opening song has a very threatening feel to it, backed by a dark, yet driving bassline, it’s one of those songs that just has a momentum to it, that makes you wish you were actually driving something instead of just appreciatively banging your head in bed.

It also uses a nice sample of a screaming crowd at the beginning, (which also is used to close the EP after the final track “Dark One”, nice touch!) and that actually does help, the songs have a live energy to them, and feel as if you have all four of the members rocking out in the room with you. Maybe the home studio recording for this EP could also be what contributes to the raw nature of Death By Default. Either way, it’s a cracking first impression, right up to the six seconds of silence towards the end that is shattered by a guttural scream into the final riff, and let me know just how Silverlith does their thing.

Another noteworthy track is ‘So What’, where a dark, chugging guitar riff backs the entire song, accompanied by a crazy vibrato lead line that I couldn’t sit still to. However, the most impressive thing in this is guitarist/frontman Ryan Perk’s voice. This guy has a beefy set of pipes on him, which are, again, something a little bit quirky, but it also means that he has a voice that sounds very like Maynard from Tool, and that is an achievement.

I like Silverlith, they interest me, how they fit the same genre as other bands with their “Hard Rock” tag, yet deliver the style in a way that is fresh and exciting. Put it this way, if hard rock was cider, then Silverlith would be a snakebite. Pretty much the same, but with an extra ingredient that makes them stand out, and I’m drunk on this cocktail of sounds.

Sadly though, if you do want to catch these four guys doing their thing live, the only gig this year is in New Milton, The Rydal Arms. Playing with Delirium, nine in the evening on the 10th of November.

I’d catch them if I were you, you won’t regret it.

Nicely done Silverlith, crank out some more tunes like that please?

Track Listing
Death By Default
So What
Don’t Count On Me
Best Intentions
Dark One

Members
Ryan Perks – Guitar/Vocals
Adam Chambers – Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals
Kev Moore – Drums
Jord Williams..AKA “JT” – Bass

Video