New Music: Silver Snakes – “Saboteur”

Silver Snakes takes a risk with the release of their third album, “Saboteur” by straying away from their more melodic sound on their previous albums and taking a leap into a darker realm of music.

As the name suggests, the theme of “sabotage” carries throughout the album, as it lyrically follows the story of someone who’s committed sabotage in the first half of the album. Midway through the album, there is a lull in intensity, which is the person’s final moment of calmness before the intensity rises in the second half, when this person has no choice but to face the consequences.

“Saboteur” is Silver Snakes’ first album to incorporate electronics, which adds a darker element to their music and creates a new depth to their production. The jarring, in-your-face samples along with the distortion on the guitars, make the songs sound visceral and heavy while still maintaining a balance of melody.

The result is a collection of 10 tracks that sound like the missing link between Nine Inch Nails’ classic concept album “The Downward Spiral” and modern droned out doom bands like Windhand and Sleep.

The first track, “Electricity,” kicks the listener in the face right out the gate, starting with heavy synth-like drums. The guitars create such a full sound that it feels like the listener is being drowned in riffs. The bass notes add another layer of malevolence, setting up the mood for the rest of the album.

Even if there were no lyrics on the album, the instrumentals would have been enough to get their emotions across. The songs give off a bittersweet vibe and ooze anger simultaneously.

The middle track, “Fire Cloud” is a refreshing instrumental track because it changes the pace of the album. Though the vocals of Estrada adds to the roughness of the tracks, it was great to hear a song where the main voice was the guitar.

The bass particularly shines on the song, “Devotion.” Mike Trujillo’s bass line hypnotizes the listener because it is played so melodically with the guitars. There was also more open soundscapes in this song that allows the bass to stand out more.

Although, there are times when the lyrics were hard to understand because the guitars were so loud in the mix.

“Saboteur” is an impressive album because the songs themselves convey the band’s emotion and message so well through the instrumentation, that the lyrics seem like an added element.

Though the album shows a different side of the band, “Saboteur” is an album that is yet another defining moment in the band’s till emerging career.