(4/6)
Venue: I can’t rate the venue as I wasn’t per se there, but it felt like the sound quality was a lot clearer.
Watching this show streaming was an interesting first for me. I was able to critique a live performance the way I do an album, but still get a sense of how the band plaid live. I really enjoyed it.
One of the joys of working with such a green band is that you really get to see them evolve. I've been tracking Silent Nightmare seriously for about a ear and change (look this number up) and watching them go from where they were)(ago to now has been amazing. They have improved every time I’ve been exposed to their work. Even from last show they've improved
One part metal, one part opera, Silent Nightmare is a stripped down version of Northern European symphonic metal. It is a decidedly uncommon sound that, especially in the US. It’s risky business pioneering a genre as a younger band and these guys seem to be braving the trials with minimal bruising.
Every time I write about Silent Nightmare, I rave about the lovely Tara Duhan. She is the opera train leading lady of the group with an absolutely killer voice. She actually has too much voice for the tiny little venues they’ve been playing (I’ve heard her clip out the speakers more than once, and that is not a bad thing). I cannot wait to hear her strut her stuff in a bigger venue where she has room to belt. Her range is substantial, peaking into the high end of the soprano range and dipping well into the alto range. Where Duhan trips up is projection, specifically projecting on the lower notes. She is strong on the higher notes, but needs more breath support on the lower and mid range notes. What she doesn’t always have in projection she makes up for in passion. It is very clear she’s invested in these songs and believes what she’s singing. She’s still finding her sound in a lot of ways, experimenting with where to place the growls and where to croon. When she does hit her stride, I have confidence she will explode.
But, if you’ve been reading this blog, you have heard me go on about how talented she is.
The band really improved from last show, especially in the second half of the set. The beginning of the set was on par with the last show and started out a little uncoordinated, I felt like the overall precision really took itself up a notch in the last half (especially in their cover of the cranberries’ Zombie) letting drummer Tim Araujo and guitarist Aleks Jevtic really shine through. Bassist Sonja Petrovic’s talent was a welcome surprise, lending some bounce to the songs. If they can make the beginning of their sets sound like the second half they will be playing far bigger venues.
I am very interested in seeing what this little band is capable of. Looking forward to more.
Good work guys.
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