London-based band The Silent Era have been appearing on these pages since the start of last year, and they’re always welcome back with their unique brand of atmospheric alternative rock. Their latest single release is actually a double.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Alban Bizet

Matter of Time is a slow-burning and psychedelic number exploring our relationship with our own mortality and the concept of an afterlife. As the track progresses, its complexity grows and we get some heavy riffs, rousing percussion and soaring, soulful vocals.

On the virtual flipside is a live cover of Bauhaus’s Bela Lugosi’s Dead and shows a distinctly different side of The Silent Era side. We get the electricity of the live performance while they stick with the brooding swagger of the original. The rhythm section creates a lathering groove before melancholic vocals come in.

The Silent Era are Bri Macanas on vocals, Chris Swarten on guitar, Nicolas Zappa on bass, and Jo Eiffes on drums. Matter of Time was recorded at Brighton Electric Studios, Brighton and was engineered by Phoebe Bentham, Josh Riordan and Liisa Kiis. Some additional recording was carried out at Secret Studios, North London, engineered by Bri Macana and Nicolas Zappa. It was mixed by Nicolas Zappa and mastered by Mark Roberts.

Bela Lugosi’s Dead was engineered by Alex Gordon, mixed by Chris Schwarten and Nicolas Zappa, and mastered by Mark Roberts.

You can give both tracks a listen below.