The Silent Era show their skills in atmosphere and metaphor with debut album, Wide And Deep And Cold.

By Graeme Smith

Favourites of ours, The Silent Era are a London-based rock band consisting of Bri Macanas, Chris Schwarten, Nicolas Zappa, and Jo Eiffes who I discovered for the blog in 2023.

We’ve shared plenty of their music but haven’t had a chance to get stuck into a full-length . That’s all changed thanks to their debut album, Wide And Deep And Cold.

The album explores the heavy themes of trauma, pain, isolation and resilience and we get that straight away through its short, disconnected title track which introduces what’s to come.

Musical influences include The Cure, Nine Inch Nails and Placebo and early highlight On The Run leans into the heavier side of those inspirations. An industrial beat sets the tone while Bri’s powerful vocals float over it all, giving us plenty of emotion. The track builds to a big finish.

Throughout, the album uses the ocean as an extended metaphor and takes us through stormy seas of On The Run, Vendetta and Matter of Time to the relatively serene shores of Paradise Beach, Cliffs and Oscillations. Raining Again closes the album with an atmospheric, calming vignette.

In between we get the severe paranoia of Strange To Me, the lingering ambience of Peur, and the pleading Goth rock of Dead of Night. A dark edge runs through them all.

The Silent Era make some of the most atmospheric music that I’ve heard. They combine heavy instrumentals and compelling vocals to great effect. This debut album gives them a chance to show their skills in a full-length and it does not disappoint. If you like your rock with edge, then their new album is for you.

Wide And Deep And Cold is out now and you can give it a listen below.