Great New Metal Album: Slave to Sirens- Echoes of Silence

As promised, here’s the new album from a band I’ve been plugging here for the past few years, all female heavy metal outfit from Lebanon, Slave to Sirens. I have listened to “Echoes of Silence” four times and with each listen, I like the album more. Therefore, it’s more than worthy of an 80smetalman endorsement and hopefully, by the end of this, you will all be converted to.

Track Listing:

1. WMD- The ladies come out firing all guns with the aim of taking no prisoners. New lead singer, Hungarian Anita Toth, makes her presence known straight away. Only a minute into the song, she has several vocal style changes and it’s amazing how she does it and keep the song fresh. It is also plain to hear that the strings section haven’t lost a step either and lead guitarist Shery Bechara does a short but attention grabbing shred, a great way to start the album.
2. Reborn- It seems it begins with a rhythm and lead guitar solo trade off and because I didn’t mention it with the opening track, rhythm guitarist Lilas Mayassi shows she can play with the best of them. When my sister heard the demo a few years back, she stated the band would fare better with a real singer. Well they have definitely found one as while Anita screams, snarls and growls through most of it, there are parts where she shows she does have a rather melodic voice. I love how the guitars take the track out.
3. Ancient Fears- This might be the closest to melodic they go. This one is slower paced, only slightly, but there is some good rhythm guitar interludes here. However, my main question is that after hearing the drums on the track, Why don’t they make the drummer who recorded on the album, Inge Van Der Zon a permanent part of the band? I love the total slow down as the song concludes.
4. Extinguish the Sun- Anita’s lamenting vocals bring the track in very nicely. You almost think it’s going to be a ballad and I can’t stop singing her praises. The melancholiness of her voice almost catches you off guard as the power chords kick in. There are constant changes in tempo to catch you off guard but keep you interested as well. I feel this could be the closest to progressive they go but it’s my favourite track on the album. Around the middle, you get a ballad style guitar solo and it all just seems to fit perfectly and I think Slave to Sirens have mastered the art of taking a song home.
5. Beyond Control- This is a very appropriate song title because the song comes in at 800 miles an hour and goes completely out of control, in a good way of course. This is one to jump into a mosh pit to. Then it totally slows down in the middle, I guess even these ladies need to catch their breath but that’s short lived as they go back to massive speeds shortly after and you get a great mosh part.
6. Mistress of Pain- Exact opposite of its predecessor and for the first minute or so, you think your getting a possible ballad. Anita sings like she’s going through torment and the guitars amplify it. It’s like a traditional Middle Eastern song converted to thrash metal when things return to warp speed. Again, we get to hear the versatility in Anita’s vocals and know what a great addition to the band she has become.
7. Merchant of Souls- Not total thrash but some great power chords and it’s fast enough. This is a great power metal tune plain and simple and the band are really going full tilt here. We get more versatile vocals and a nice guitar solo and another classic ending.
8. Salome- Shery brings it in with the solo before things explode to faster speeds. This is another one for the mosh pit, some great unadulterated thrash, Not much more I can say except that there is another cool guitar solo and some great rhythm guitar bits in the middle of the solo. But it’s here I must sing the praises of bassist Alma Dhoumani who if you saw my last post proves she can play the bass. After playing on a track like this, she must have had blisters on her fingers.
9. Full Grown Terror- Anita’s growls make the song title a truth but Shery’s guitar hooks are also something to hear as well. She plays a blinder of a solo as the rhythm increases its speed and stops as the song slows down. If singles are released, this would be a hidden gem.
10. Dark Waters- Even at the closer the band show no signs of slowing down and they seem determined to go out with the fireworks they brought the album in on. In fact if “Beyond Control” is played at 800 mph, then this one must be going at 1000. It does slow down a little towards the end but not without a few more blood curdling shrieks from Anita.

Slave to Sirens

Anita Toth- lead vocals

Shery Bechara- lead guitar

Lilas Mayassi- rhythm guitar

Alma Dhoumani- bass

Inge Van Der Zor- drums (recording only)

Slave to Sirens totally blow all stereotypes to kingdom come with their album, “Echoes of Silence.” I’m impressed and hopefully, so will all of you.

Next post: Lilian Axe- Love and War

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com

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