Band:	Vitriol (ITA)
Album:	Into The Silence I Sink
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	November 2012

01. Behind The Electric Veil
02. Slowly She Dies
03. Arabesque
04. Sinking
05. The Frozen Wind
06. Endless Spiral
07. Despite Your Cries
08. Oceans
09. The Continuous Struggle
10. Three Times

Vitriol is an Italian progressive metal sextet that, despite being only at the beginning of its career, is not anymore a promise: the quality of this release should rapidly bring it at higher levels, since finding such maturity in a debut album these days is becoming increasingly rare and extremely interesting.

Into The Silence I Sink is a masterful piece of metal, not a gloomy misfits' excuse to vent some pent-up frustrations like the cover artwork may let think, but instead a dark and sometimes disquieting journey into silences. Yes, I spelled it plural, since the silences analysed here are three: the paradoxical one between people in this globalized era, the personal one between somebody and his own soul and the terrible one between a man and his God. The latter, then, is embodied by the figure of Christ during his Passion and by his sadly famous cry "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?". But these few words only scratch the surface of the greatness of the concept under this album: just sit down, take your time, and enjoy some fantastic lyrics.

On a more musical side Into The Silence I Sink is a variegated album, with fast and aggressive tracks, as the amazing opener "Behind The Electric Veil" - which righteously enters among the best progressive songs of the last years - mitigated by slower and lighter ballads which, at a distracted hearing, may sound boring and elongated just to reach the appropriate playing time for a prog album, after some careful listenings reveal hidden facets and unexpected dynamism, also thanks to some clever devices, as the frequent use of evocative backing vocals, intriguing whispers and not superfluous sound effects.

Vitriol jump on the shoulders of the genre's giants - influences, for example, from John Petrucci's intricate riffing or Danny Carey's eclecticism are easily appreciable - to build their very own style, positively complex without losing accessibility.

The main thing I want to warn everyone about is absolutely not to listen to this album while doing something else. Just lie on your sofa, unlock your soul and thank any God you praise you're patient enough to enjoy great, thoughtful, music.