ALBUM REVIEW: Silverstein - Misery Made Me
Misery Made Me is the tenth studio album from Canadian EMO/Post-Hardcore five piece Silverstein and second to be released under UNIFIED Music. The band released their first single from the album "Bankrupt" back in April 2021, releasing "It Over' in November and "Ultraviolet" this February which coincided with the announcement of the album.
After listening to the album I was left feeling rather confused as to why I'd never listened to Silverstein before. They're a band that have always been there but one I've never gotten round to listening to despite them being exactly what I look for, captivating sounds and emotionally charged lyrics.
The album kicks off with Our Song which is a combination of Nu-Metal and Pop Punk, it gets you fired up and nicely sets the scene for what's to be an epic ride!
Die Alone features Andrew Neufeld of Comeback Kid and is pure Post-Hardcore. Unfortunately for me this was probably the song on the record I struggled with most, I felt the ratio of unclean to clean vocals was too great and led to the clean element being overpowered. I somewhat enjoyed it but it's the track I imagine myself skipping in the future.
My favourite is undoubtedly "Ultraviolet." It has everything I want from this type of music. Just enough screamo to make it interesting but not so much it detracts from the rest of the song, and chorus that just erupts and pulls you further into the moment. I've previously included this track in my On Repeat selections because it's that good and I've become a bit obsessed with it.
Other standouts for me were "Slow Motion" featuring Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada, I particularly enjoyed the melodic sound of this one with the lyrics of the chorus really grabbing me. "Live Like This" which features nothing. nowhere is another one where while I enjoyed the overall sound but it was the lyrics that jumped out at me from first listen, really appealing to my inner angsty, EMO teenager!
The album ends with "Misery" which is a thing of beauty. It brings the pace right down for a more power ballad-esque sound packed full of emotionally charged lyrics that sent shivers down my spine. It shows the diversity of the band and showcases Shane’s voice.
In summary I loved this record, yes a song or two fell short for me but a perfect record is hard to find. I know most of my reviews are written with emotion rather than critically but that's how I listen to an album. I'm not bothered about its technical sound, I'm not even that bothered about categorising its genres (even though I do). For me it's about how something makes me feel. "Misery Made Me" took me on a rollercoaster ride that sometimes made me feel high and euphoric yet at times it led me into the dark, questioning various aspects of myself. It's a powerful record, and one which shows why Silverstein have been around for the past two decades.
