Motiva is an album that is twelve years in the making. It is not that Finnish Gothic metal outfit Silentium were dormant during that time, they didn’t even take a hiatus.
That time not only saw the band tour, find a new member to replace Toni Lathinen but the band was also writing new material all the time – the result is Motiva an album that not only delivers a more mature sound but also feels like a time capsule that truly captures the twelve years between album. It is also the album that announces the arrival of Silentium who now need to be mentioned alongside the greats of the genre, bands including Nightwish and Within Temptation.
It is hard to find a way to describe Motiva other than pure perfection. Somewhere in that twelve years something kicked into gear for Silentium and as a result they have delivered an album where every single track is awesome brilliance.
Opening track “Truth” begins with an eerie Gothicness normally reserved for artists like VAST or Enigma. The guitars and vocals then build until they reach full power and from there this is an album that never looks back. Janne Ojala’s drumming gives “Unchained” a heavier presence while the guitar work takes the track to a whole new place… something that could be said for most of the tracks on the album.
Silentium can do no wrong on this album. Slower tracks like “Safier-Easier’ work while the haunting “Vow” also shows off the amazing vocal of Riina Rinkinen, whom it feels has taken a huge step up with this album. Take one listen to “Shame” and tell me that she hasn’t captured a special kind of magic this time around… I dare you! You know something is really working with an album like this when even instrumental tracks like “Friend” and “Circle” are so stunning you want to go back and listen to them time and time again.
The highlights of this album though are the epic sounding “Vortex” and “Tide.” Both tracks take the listener on a journey as the band mixes and matches genres as they wish. The inclusion of Toni Lathtinen’s vocals on “Vortex” only give a nod to the past but also show the maturity of the new Silentium… a band that is ready to conquer anything with easy strides. These tracks will feel like a mini concert on their own when performed live but at the same time they are a mark of a band that now know how to deliver pure perfection.
Motiva is a stunning album that is the perfect soundtrack for a world just breaking out of its own hibernation. Beautiful, epic and dripping with Gothic brilliance this is one of the albums of 2020.
