In his thanks list for this album, vocalist/bassist Terry Vainoras calls it "a solid, uncompromisingly brutal album". I would have to say that I half agree with him: if anything, 'Illusions of Silence' is solid. Uncompromisingly brutal, however, it is most certainly not. Even if it does depend on what you compare it with. Now, I'm not at all familiar with Mark Kelson's main (?) band The Eternal, but from what I've heard of it, I have a feeling InSomnius Dei is supposed to be "the more extreme side-project" or something like that. Well, for any fan of extreme metal out there, I have two words: easy listening.

With the exception of 'A Funeral Sky', a two-minute play-through of a song that oddly sounds like being part of an unfinished one, every track on this album reaches at least nine minutes. A lot of things are going on here musically, and not one of the songs is even close to being boring: there are layered lead guitars, clean interludes, the occasional vocal melody as well as heavy riffage and growled vocals. Things should be in perfect order, then, but what you actually get from listening to this is a very clear feeling that all of it has been done before, and done better. Further, the riffs, melodies, rhythms and vocals, even song structures are of the type I like to call "instant access". Either the music impresses you at first listen, or it never will. The album has absolutely no chance of growing on you; it is, in a way, simply too perfect for that to happen.

A word or two about the production - and this should tell you something since I'm normally not the kind of person who complains about sound politics. Shortly put, the mix is unbelievably powerless. It's like Kelson couldn't decide which instruments to emphasize, so he chose to not emphasize any of them. The rhythm guitar and harsh vocals pay the most notable price for this in their overall weakness, but keyboards, bass and drums are none the more prominent - the first two of these can barely be heard most of the time. Lead guitar has its moments, but those moments cannot hold the entire album above water (soundwise).

Vainoras' vocals are also an issue to be mentioned. The man can do a low growl, so why doesn't he? He can manage a blackish high rasp, so why not use it? Instead, his main weapon of choice is (sadly) a very generic mid-range scream that does a good job in making the album even less interesting than it would be otherwise.

However, you should not misunderstand me. The music on 'Illusions of Silence' is certainly not bad in any way. In fact, it is expertly composed and flawlessly executed with a clear attempt at being emotional and atmospheric, "deep", so to speak. Everything flows perfectly and the melodies are very tasty. And there are some phenomenal moments: 'Absent', for example, has one of the best choruses I've heard recently. The album is catchy, even - but this is not a compliment. Of course one may argue that writing a catchy ten-minute song is a talent in itself - and it is - but to my ears, the main thing wrong with the album is the fact that it's so catchy. Music like this should not be "catchy"; when I put on a melodic (or not) doom/death album, I don't expect "catchy". That, my friends, is the problem.

Regardless of what Mr. Vainoras says, this album is not brutal and uncompromising, it is polished and predictable. The effort is there, no doubt about it, but very few things actually manage to catch the listener's attention - it's in one ear and out the other without leaving a trace. Still, I suggest you give it a chance; the music is good enough to enjoy even if it doesn't interest you much.