It’s hard to believe Canada’s favorite post-hardcore sons, Silverstein, are about to release their 8th album. Entitled Dead Reflection, it’s one of Silverstein’s heavier records, but it doesn’t sacrifice songwriting for blast beats and breakdowns. In many ways, it’s a “reflection” (hah!) of the band’s consistency over the last fifteen plus years.
That being said, it’s important to look back on where you’ve been to know where you’re going. And while the court of public and critical opinion is mostly divided on what Silverstein’s crowning achievement to date is (usually citing Discovering The Waterfront or 2013’s This Is How The Wind Shifts), the band’s third album, Arrivals And Departures, is often seen as being among the band’s more middling material. While I personally wouldn’t rank it among Silverstein’s best, I have many fond memories waking up every day before school to “If You Could See Into My Soul” as my ringtone for a few years, the opening track “Sound Of The Sun” is still very memorable, and the absolute highlight is the track “My Disaster”, which features a fantastic guitar solo. Released on July 3rd, 2007, it was the follow-up to 2005’s breakout Discovering The Waterfront.
Listening to it more, I still wouldn’t claim it’s Silverstein’s best work. But it’s a much better album than critics gave it at first listen. Though it’s a bit top-heavy, Arrivals And Departures is a very worthy addition to the band’s discography. I’ll let my friend Marie Spear speak about it, though – certainly, it holds nostalgic value for many.
