I’ve listened to The Shiver several times now and I’m still not quite sure what to make of them. Not that this is a bad thing, rather that they present themselves in a somewhat mercurial fashion that shifts just as you think you’ve got a grasp on where they’re coming from. As a result categorising ‘The darkest hour’ very much depends upon what song you’re listening to and whilst the band are deft enough to have crafted an album with a cohesive melodic thread, there are enough disparate influences to keep things interesting throughout.
Take opening number ‘Ocean’ as a case in point; initially you’d be forgiven for thinking the band have set their sights on embracing the territory between Evanescence and Within Temptation, the song being airy, pop-infused and imbued with a chorus that surely comes from spending too long staring out of rain-streaked windows only for the band to turn things on their head with a pummelling riff that backs up a merciless bout of screaming that recalls long-lost Brit metallers Defenestration. It’s surprising, sure, but it works well and sounds awesome, the percussion detonating as the song heads into some seriously heavy territory. ‘The key’ pits keyboards against reverberating bass and atmospheric vocals only to suddenly transform into a blast of high-octane rock complete with awkward rhythms, driving guitars and possibly the best pop-rock chorus outside of a Garbage album. It’s relatively light weight, with more in common with recent Lacuna Coil than the heavier end of metal, but for those that love melody driven rock then this has much to offer. In contrast, ‘Little lonely boy’ is a subtle showcase for Faith’s gorgeous vocals, the instrumentation paired back to a minimum as her voice washes over you. It adds a layer of depth to the album and shows a vulnerable side to the band that isn’t initially apparent amidst the well-polished rock of the opening tracks. ‘Forgotten soul’ takes things back to the melodic rock of Evanescence, with a tough beat and skittering keyboard elements before the interesting ‘bury’ kicks off with its syncopated beat and funky bass lines underpinning that all-important sense of melody that keeps all the songs here memorable.
Possibly the album’s oddest track, ‘the secret’ with its distorted electronica drawing an industrial line in the sand and, with its dirty beat and grimy electronics sounding like a hybrid of dubstep and Depeche mode, it is also the album’s most interesting diversion. A deeply atmospheric departure from the norm, it showcases a band unafraid to try new things although ‘into the darkest hour’ returns the album to an even keel with its keening chorus and taut drums, although even here the band divert into a shimmering mid-section augmented by synth elements and a sense of light and shade so often overlooked in modern composition. ‘Runaway’ opens to the sound of chattering 8bit synth before opening up into the type of pop rock song that would have burnt a hole through the single charts in the rock dominated late 90s. ‘Anything’ is similarly built around Faith’s emotive vocals and an overdriven riff whilst closing number ‘over’ once again highlights the band’s ability to create atmospheric, slow-burning rock when the mood so takes them. It’s a deep, dark highlight of the album and, in an album that sounds like it is more or less built from potential singles, its tribal beat and warm piano stand out as something particularly special, recalling the gothic grandeur of VAST amidst the echoing choirs and Faith’s rich vocal.
Whether you like The Shiver will very much depend on your take on pop music delivered via the medium of loud guitars. More interesting than Evanescence, more varied than Lacuna Coil, ‘the darkest hour’ is an album that draws form a number of genres but which always remains grounded in the sort of melodies that are as addictive as crack and just as hard to kick. Certainly those readers who enjoy the mainstream rock of bands like Foo Fighters, Lacuna Coil or even Depeche mode will find much to enjoy here but the truth is that The Shiver are at their most interesting when they stretch themselves to deliver something more. Highlights of the album include ‘the secret’ and ‘over’, both of which show a band with one eye on their audience and one eye on the sort of atmospheric song writing more commonly found amidst soundtrack producers. Overall ‘the darkest hour’ is a strong album which suggests great potential and is well worth a listen for those who like their music delivered with a good deal of melody.
