Then Comes Silence - Hunger album review

 “Then Comes Silence are everything a band should be - good tunes, good playing and singing, and good-looking. Their songs are ear-worms, once heard difficult to forget” – Wayne Hussey

With the release of their last three albums in particular, there has been general consensus that Then Comes Silence are indeed the leading new goth/post-punk band of the 21^st century (to quote another goth legend, Jyrki of the 69 Eyes), and this week’s release of the excellent Hunger, the band’s sixth album overall, continues the Swedish ensemble’s elevation to the very pinnacle of groups who have operated in these genres over the past four decades.

What sets Then Comes Silence apart from their contemporaries on the darkwave scene just as much as the sheer quality and consistency of their output is the fact that although they clearly understand their place in the alternative rock pantheon (particularly after having recently completed the four EP Horsemen project of cover versions, paying tribute to the artists who inspired them), it is difficult to pinpoint any specific influences from the goth movement’s founding fathers in their unique sound.

Hunger’s purple sleeve hints at the contents within, a perfect amalgam of the icy cold blue of its predecessor Machine and the crimson red of 2017’s Blood with its angular, driven gothic post-punk, whilst the diamond formation of the (faceless) band members recalls of epic grandiosity of Queen. Opening track Tickets to Funerals shows that the band has rediscovered its more powerful and dynamic edge – even Geordie and Killing Joke would be proud of the muscular guitar chug that underpins the overall opening sentiment that with Hunger, Then Comes Silence’s sound is (in singer and bassist Alex Svenson’s memorable phrase) “warm like blood” again (and given that the new album was mixed by Tom van Heesch, who produced Blood, this should come as little surprise). 

Second track Rise To The Bait was a great choice for the first single, with its strong “singalong” chorus and more subtle melodic guitars, but still with a very post-punk overall vibe, particularly in the middle eight. Inevitably for a band with a five-album history, there are tracks which sound as if they could have fitted on previous albums, and it’s great to hear shades of the psychgaze of the band’s under-rated sophomore album Then Comes Silence II on the chorus of Cold from Inside, even though the overall production (which reminds me of David Allan’s work with The Cure and The Sisters in the mid-80’s) is more in keeping with the more understated and polished Machine album. 

The next two tacks demonstrate the wonderful synergy of twin guitarists Hugo Zombie and Mattias Ruejas Jonson:  Worm’s range of guitar sounds, from amplified almost Spanish flourishes on the main riff to more innovative McGeoch/Ash-influenced effects are simply stunning, further enhancing the typically dark atmosphere, whilst the more experimental second single Chain is fantastic, with the sequenced keyboards, slightly distorted guitar riff, drummer Jonas Fransson’s punishing beat, Alex’s syncopated, staccato bass, and the surprising twists and turns on the more melodic chorus, including the great backing vocals once again provided by Karolina Engdahl of the band True Moon (who sang on previous single Ritual). 

Weird Gets Strange begins with a Joy Division-esque two-note guitar riff before developing into the kookiest and most eclectic track on the album, with even a section reminiscent of the “out-there” weirdness of B52s. Days and Years has a great “classic TCS” feel to it, with the rockier, rawer, guitar parts, and in some ways this sums up the album – one third the mellow, psyched-out innovation of Nyctophilian, one third the classic guitar-based 80’s influenced gothic post-punk of Blood, and one third the smoother, more melodic, more subtle TCS of Machine, the sound of a band comfortable in its own skin and further refining its unique sonic template. Just when you think the band is reaching its peak, along comes the unhinged spooky genius of Blood Runs Cold with its wonderfully-creative fuzzy Bauhaus-inspired spidery bassline, and further alchemic guitar interplay from Ruejas Jonson and Zombie as the track reaches a deathrock climax. Pretty Creatures as its title suggests, has more of an Iggyesque vibe and a more straightforward song structure, showcasing perfectly Svenson’s unique “goth Elvis” baritone vocal (a nickname which his all-white outfit for the band’s festival-stealing performance at the recent WGT in Leipzig will only enhance!).  With a tradition of placing an epic slow-burning, mellower, more reflective track towards the end of an album (think Kill It on Machine or Mercury on Blood), Close Shot plays this role to perfection on Hunger, which finishes with the more curious Unknowingly Blessed, which builds from an acapella opening to a more obviously commercial chorus, although again as with the other more melodic tracks, there’s plenty of interesting and energetic guitar work to maintain the album’s drive and overall sense of purpose.

As Wayne Hussey has recognised, Then Comes Silence deliver high quality guitar-driven melodic post-punk which exudes confidence, professionalism and talent. With Hunger, they have continued their positive evolution and upward trajectory by producing another consistently impressive album.

Hunger is available NOW on Nexilis (Europe) and Metropolis (America) Records. 

Link to Bandcamp (try before you buy!) HERE!