There's a reason that Victory Records is pushing these guys to the moon. Silverstein play a very accessible form of metalcore that's long on heavy riffs as well as catchy pop hooks. It's a bit too heavy to be emo, not quite brutal enough to be called hardcore, but has enough elements of both, plus a healthy dose of metal attitude. Arrivals & Departures first and foremost contains plenty of memorable melodies, and the band alternates the sweet & sugary pop vocals with menacing metalcore growls. Tunes like "Sound of the Sun" and "Bodies and Words" have radio potential for both alternative and metal markets, and the latter number also contains some nifty guitar riffs and leads that will please fans of Avenged Sevenfold. "Worlds Apart" is a soaring ballad, sure to become a "raise the lighters & cell phones" concert anthem, and "Still Dreaming" is just solid, catchy, metallic power pop. The closing number "True Romance" is the CD's longest piece at just under 6 minutes, and contains plenty of haunting melodies and atmosphere.
It's pretty easy to predict that Arrivals & Departures is going to sell a good amount of copies and really appeal to younger hard rock fans. The production has a nice glossy sheen to it, the melodies are memorable, there's some decent metal muscle, even some screamo moments on a few songs, and the damn cover art is simply splendid. Is it the most original or groundbreaking release that will come out in 2007? Hardly, but who really cares at this point.
Track Listing
1. Sound of the Sun
2. Bodies and Words
3. If You Could See into My Soul
4. Worlds Apart
5. My Disaster
6. Still Dreaming
7. Sand Will Turn to Glass
8. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
9. Vanity and Greed
10. Love with Caution
11. True Romance
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