Sunday Suggestions (January 31, 2016)

It's that time once again to collect all of the Sunday Suggestions and bring them to light!

Gamma - "Wish You Were Here" suggested by Richard P.
Shy Glizzy - "No Sleep" suggested by Globetrotters HD
Forever Still - "Tied Down" suggested by Helena H.
Kosmic Stream - "Survival" suggested by Vitali S.
Slitherum - "Child" suggested by Rocking Satellite

Remember to keep the music in your lives flowing!  Without music, we all might as well be dead.

CD Review Silence Kills

Silence Kills by Silence Kills (As Reviewed on January 27th, 2016)


Artist Bio

Where are you from?

Silence Kills comes from Muravera, a little (5000 people) town in South Sardinia (Italy), both near to the sea and to the mountains. 

Who are the band members?

I am the only band member and I composed/written, played, recorded and produced every track of Silence Kills. My name is Mario Inghes, I'm an Italian producer and multi-instrumentalist. I was born in 1989 and started play the guitar at the age of six. Growing up I've got the luck to experience synthesizers and computers and to start soon composing simple stuff. I'm self-taught. 

How long the band has been together?

Since I'm the only band member, the band has been together since 1989 :-) ...Well, I always wished a soloist project to create and play this kind of genre, but I really started composing for Silence Kills in 2014. 

Did any members of the band work in bands before?

I played in lots of band and had the luck to know many musicians more skilled than me, wherewith I used to play. The most important collaboration I had is with «Restless Dream» (A great composer from Rome), she influenced a lot my way of thinking and listening to music and life. From 2010 to 2012 I worked in a recording studio as soloist guitarist, learning lots of stuff about music production and sound manipulation. From 2012 I founded SDV, an industrial rock band of which I am the producer, composer, arranger and guitarist, while Kat D'Amon writes lyrics and sings. We did two albums, but actually only one has been published. It's called «V.I.T.R.I.O.L.» and is on iTunes and BandCamp.

Where was the album made?

The album Silence Kills was entirely made in my home studio, in Muravera. Every instrument is recorded inside there, every «strange» sound too. Didn't use any loops or ready-stuff: I made everything on my own since I wanted this album could sound very unique, so everything is done at home. I hope to have reached this goal, for me but especially for my listeners since I do what I do for them. 

Who produced the album?

The album was entirely written/composed, played, arranged, recorded and produced by me. 

Who are your influences?

I started playing the guitar when I was six, after listening to The Queen. I loved Brian May and the unbelievable sounds that he can bring out from his Red Special! It's my first love and I will never forget it. Then started listening to many other both famous and not famous artists, but those who had really influenced me are «Afterhours», «Marilyn Manson», «Massive Attack» and «Nine Inch Nails»: a big wish of mine is to know Trent Reznor, one day. 

What was the message or goal for this album?

Well, it's a mission: music is important, music has got a huge magic power, I strongly believe that listening to music can really make things better in our life. Music is taking all my time and my life, and people like what I do not because «I am great», but just because what I do is made with soul, so the message for this album is the album itself, the message is exactly this: «feel your soul, act with your soul, talk to your soul, be your soul, put yourself in things you are doing». 

Do you plan on touring to promote this album?

I still didn't plan on touring to promote this album, and I am not interested in doing live shows, since I created music that is good to meditate, to make love, to relax, to read books, to think... So I believe that the best way for people who wants to listen to this album is to listen to it quietly, at home, alone or with a partner.  

What are your goals for the future?

I am a very simple person, I just want to be able to continue to make music, because I love it. But music takes all my time, so I need to live with it, I need to get money from what I do. I don't know how it can happen, I am not really sure, but I suppose that it is possible only if many, many, many people listen to what I do, so... Maybe could be a good goal the one of starting to license my music for movies, etc. It would be great!  

Where can people buy your music?

My releases are available only at: http://silencekillsofficial.bandcamp.com but soon you can get them from iTunes, or wherever digital music is sold.

Onyx's Review

Silence Kills starts off with a slow yet powerful ambient melody which really sets the tone for the rest of the album.  When I listened to this CD it was as if I was going through the story of someone with a sad tale to tell.  Even the song titles reveal, perhaps, the outline of the story.  The first tracks, After You, Endless, and Claire, feel a though there was a loss or pain to this story.  And then the bridge sets in.  

Now, the bridge felt a bit out of place for this album, until I went back and listened to it again, placing it with the imagined story that I had created in my mind.  I could be wrong, but the Bridge sounds like it is playing backwards, perhaps the “narrator” of this perceived story is realizing that things are not as bad as they seem, or that he is pondering something else about life. I do know that the Bridge is there for a reason, but perhaps not the one that I am thinking.  

After the bridge, the story seems to go more in depth with the tracks Giving my best for Nothing, Failed, To Myself and the title track, Silence Kills.  These songs are still in that depth of calm melody which gives way to very deep thinking. Then comes the point where most of us get at one point or another with the track entitled Insanity.  This was my favorite track on the album.  It was the only one with any vocals at all, and even those were minimal.  That is absolutely okay in my opinion.  This CD does not need vocals to portray the feelings that it brings about.  Insanity conveys the perfect combination of melody and hints of industrial pieces of ear candy that are as pleasing to the soul as they are to the ears.  

Silence Kills ends with the tracks Hope is Useless, A Better Man and Drunk.  Better Man gives me the impression of just that.  That the narrator in this story has come to realize that he is better than he gave himself credit for and the powerful guitar near the end of this track perfectly punctuates that image.

Each of the tracks on Silence Kills reflects a mastery of emotion combined with a story-telling that will unfold differently for every listener.  This album has the ability to bring out some very raw feelings within the listener which again will be different for each.  Silence Kills reminds me of a more industrial Tangerine Dream mixed with touches of Nine Inch Nails. Mario’s use of acoustic instruments set against electronic synthesizers is gorgeously blended and makes this an album that I can and will listen to over and over again. It is a powerful, ambient journey though the mind.

I wish Mario and Silence Kills all the luck in the world with this and future albums!  And Mario, when you put out another album, I want to know about it! 

Sunday Suggestions (January 24th, 2016)

So, as part of this blog, I am going to put a list of bands that you, the people, have suggested to me through Facebook on Sundays.  I am always open to suggestions, so please feel free to suggest new bands any day, any time.  This is just something fun for those who need some filler time on their days off.  In order for me to post on Sunday, please have all your suggestions in by 3pmPST.  Thanks!

So without further pomp and circumstance, the following artists were suggested to me on Sunday, January 24th, 2016.

Symphony X - Suggested by Jerry
Tuatha Dae - Suggested by Chris
Sit Kitty Sit - Suggested by Nathan
The Gina Rose Band - Suggested by Nathan
Oden Sun - Suggested by Jason
Buscando la Muerte - Suggested by Rodg
HellHumm - Suggested by Sergio

Have your heard of these bands?  Is this your first time checking them out? Please leave your comments below on what you thought of these suggestions.  I look forward to the discussion.  (please be civil)

Keep rockin'!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Onyx Music Moment CD Review Corner!

I am very delighted and proud to bring you full CD reviews from the Erosion Factory Radio Show's segment Onyx music Moment.  I, of course, am Onyx.  Along with CD Reviews, I will post Artist bios, pictures and album art of CDs I review.

Every Wednesday from 3-7pmPST and replayed on Saturdays from 4-8PST Beyond the Dawn Studios brings you the Erosion Factory Radio Show.  This is an eclectic show combining the best indie music from around the world along with interviews conducting by the show's host, Jimmie Jones.  He discusses topics such as video game makers, bands, artists, and tons of things in between.

Along with the Onyx Music Moment, Run the Gauntlet with Tim Royce is a weekly segment in which Tim discusses current movies and TV shows of interest.  There is never a boring moment with Erosion Factory Radio Show. 

Please be sure to subscribe not only to this page here, but friend me on Facebook at the link near the top of the page and feel free to follow Erosion Factory Radio Show (also located at the top of the page) for all the latest that Erosion Factory has to offer!

While this page is specifically dedicated to posting CD reviews, I will also be doing something called the Sunday Suggestion.  On Sundays, I will be asking for people to suggest (via Facebook) bands that they think I will like.  I'm ALWAYS looking for new artists of ANY genre to listen to. Sometime in the afternoon on Sunday, I will compile a list of all the bands that people have suggested and repost them in a list here. 

I hope that you enjoy this new addition to the Onyx Music Moment.  I am certainly enjoying creating this for you!

~Onyx