Weeping Silence launch their much awaitied 'Isles Of Lore' - A review
Weeping Silence’s fifth full length album was released digitally on the 24th of November with a date booked at The Garage for the physical release, eighteen days later. The 12th of December is the eve of one of three public holidays which fall during the last month of the year in Malta, each one gives the opportunity to build up to Christmas and all that comes with it. Whether you’re a believer or not, everybody likes getting presents and believe me ‘Isles Of Lore’ makes one hell of a gift to your loved ones….and of course to yourself.
I have discussed this opus in depth with band founder Mario Ellul and drummer Julian Mallia on my radio show, Heatstrokes, which aired on Sunday 3rd December, and which can be listened to here, on melodija.eu.
‘Isles Of Lore’ was released in digipak format on ViciSolum Productions and were delivered to the band literally a few hours before doors opened for their launch party on Republic Day’s eve.
The first act of the night was SaHHar whose seven-track set initiated what would be a night to remember.
Starting his allocated time with ‘Priedka Tat-Telfien’ from his 2015 album ‘Kruha U Kefrija’ moving directly to ‘L-Irmied Tal-Haruf/Tibla L-Ostja’ both songs taken from ‘Qilla Tal-Qrun’ released on the 21st of April 2019. These were followed by this year’s publications, ‘It-Tarf Tal-Kozmu U Ta’ Ruhi’ a song released on the first day of this past August and ‘L-Imlejka’, his recent single released only four days before this event. With two songs left on his set list (and an outro) Sahhar then took us on a journey back to 22nd March 2014 when ‘Difna Fl-infern’ (his second full length album and fifth release) was launched, with ‘Bewsa Ta’ Nar U Mrar’, a song which later was re-done for his album ‘Kliem It-Tmiem’ of 2017. The set was concluded by ‘Ghadam Bla Ghadd Fl-Ilvant tal-Adrijatiku’ taken from his last full-length release ‘Tigrif Tal-Gnus’ from 4th December 2020.
All those who attended couldn’t have had a better act to open the night, a truly professional performance paving the way for the protagonists of the night.
Weeping Silence used the fifth song on the album ‘Interlude’ as an intro to their set which was solely made up of the songs one finds on the album commencing with ‘The Watcher On The Walls’ a song also released as a single earlier this year and which features Orphaned Land’s frontman Kobi Fahri on vocals next to Dario Pace Taliana’s growls. This was not the first time that Weeping Silence’s songs featured the vocals of a guest (Draconian’s Anders Jacobsson guested on two songs on their 2012 album ‘For the Unsung’) but having such an illustrious singer as Kobi is a milestone of an achievement for the band. Maybe one day we’ll see this song performed live by both singers on the same stage here on the island.
‘Isles Of Lore is a concept album with Maltese folklore and legends as the main theme of the songs. ‘The Watcher On The Walls’ is about one of the most famous character in these legends – ‘Il-Hares’. The next song on the album and of the night was ‘Serpentine’ (‘Serpentin’) followed by ‘The Collector’, or as she is known in Maltese ‘Censa L-Mewt’ who is sort of a Maltese version of the grim reaper. ‘The Beast And The Harrow’ (‘Il-Gawgaw’) followed, a song about a superstitious belief that a person born on December 24 would be transformed in a Gawgaw on the night between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day throughout his life. And the folk tales continue with three songs, namely ‘Engulfer’ (‘Il-Belliegha’), ‘Where Giants Roam’ (‘Sansuna’, a tale which originates from Gozo) and ‘A Silent Curse’ (‘l-Ghajn’, which probably is still very acknowledged in rural Malta), before the band performed the song, which in my opinion is the highlight of the album, ‘The Legend Of Matteo Falzon’ (Is-Sahhar Falzun’) a sixteen minute epic that transports the listener to an era long gone lyric-wise and yet keeps everyone on edge with the music build up of a progressive metal opera. The protagonist, Matteo Falzon, was a real live character who was accused and condemned as a heretic by the church who also confiscated his land (a strip on which today stands Girgenti Palace built in 1625 as the summer residence of Inquisitor Onorato Visconti).
Weeping Silence closed the night with an encore and grins of satisfaction, while all attendees were still trying to get back from this fantastic voyage both acts managed to create.
‘Isles Of Lore’ is definitely one of the best albums a Maltese band released during this dying year.
More information on the fictional characters mentioned can easily be found in Stephan D. Mifsud’s publication ‘Maltese Mythology: Volume 1’ (2023).
Band photos Maria Baldacchino (RocknRoll-Malta)
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