Silent Knight - Full Force (Own Label)

Perth metallers Silent Knight really transcend their power metal tag with new album Full Force, delivering a set that definitely is both powerful and metallic, yet at the same time delivering real variety across the eight songs included.

If you’re a fan you’ll obviously have heard the two taster tracks the band have released, Blood in the Water and Full Force, and drawn your own conclusions; if you haven’t, well, you’re in for a treat as both help to usher in a new era for the band in fine style, an era that will surely come to be defined by the stunning vocal presence of newish throatsmith Dan Brittain.

On the superb paean to the 101st Airborne Division, Screaming Eagles, Brittain gives a tour de force performance, a performance that proves the man to be right up there with the best vocalists heavy metal has to offer in 2022, meshing a Dickinsonesque lower register with screams right out of Rob Halford circa Painkiller; As you can imagine it’s a heady mix, and one which perfectly matches the music that Brittain’s compadres are pumping out on Full Force.

It all comes together best on the quite stunning Into Oblivion, a fast-paced headbanger that mixes DragonForce‘s muscularity and technique to a dark melodicism that is heavily redolent of Iron Maiden’s Somewhere in Time; the upshot is a delirious noise that will surely be irresistible to anybody who calls themselves a fan of proper heavy metal…

It’s not just about Brittain, of course. Guitarists Stu McGill and Cam Nicholas acquit themselves superbly throughout, whether through merciless deployment of chugging rhythms or razor sharp soloing, whilst the acrobatic, lithe rhythm section of bassist Cameron Daw and drummer Dan Grainger provide a watertight bedrock that provides the springboard for the vocals and guitars to take off. As a team effort, Full Force is pretty much unbeatable.

Looking back over my review notes for this album, I see that I haven’t been able to highlight one weakness on Full Force; that’s a rare thing to report, but there really aren’t any chinks in Silent Knight’s armour here – if you love fast-paced heavy metal crammed with melody and memorability, then quite simply you must own this record!