The Ashes Of A Treacherous Silence is the fourth album from Nottingham’s Thirteenth Sign. A band that SonicAbuse has followed since their auspicious debut (the still-excellent Oracles Of Armageddon), Thirteenth Sign have never disappointed, and their most recent effort (2015’s Evolution’s End) showed that the band had lost none of their passion for darkly inventive thrash metal. Nevertheless, times have been turbulent for the band. Whilst the debut was released on Battlegod Records, the two subsequent records were self-released, and line up changes have meant that only drummer Lloyd Stringer and rhythm guitarist Chris Hubbard remain from the original line up. It is, perhaps, the cross that all independent bands have to bear, but if anything, Thirteenth Sign brush such misfortunes aside like confetti, and this latest effort is arguably the band’s strongest work to date.
Opening with the scene setting WN-3617 (immediately highlighting the influence of Queensryche’s epic Operation Mindcrime on the writing process), Thirteenth Sign stir up a discomfiting atmosphere before tearing into the riff-tastic The Bond Of Wicked Blood. Reminiscent of testament at their heaviest, this chunky slab of death-infused thrash introduces us to vocalist Reno Ramos, whose impressive range places him somewhere between Chuck Billy and Randy Blythe. Meanwhile, the two other newcomers (Dale Stringer on lead guitar and Dave Thomas on bass) more than prove their worth, especially on the blisteringly tight Impulse Control, a stabbing, dramatic beast with shades of Soilwork shot through its DNA. Aptly named, the brutal Electric Hammer starts heavy and only gets darker and more malevolent from there, with Chris and Dale trading blistering riffs as Reno’s stacked roars build to a swirling maelstrom of hate. Perhaps marginally less successful, the pared back thrash of Demons Within gives way to a chorus that sacrifices the verse’s blistering power for melody, although Locked In A Deadly Embrace is on hand to bring the pain, coruscating riffs and deftly-chosen samples vying for the listener’s attention. Still melodic and memorable, but delivered with more fire in its belly, Locked… is an album highlight. With the samples returning, the track segues directly into the Pantera-worshipping groove of The Spider’s Web – a monstrous metallic belter with an unexpectedly symphonic chorus and nicely churning bassline from Dave.
Kicking off the album’s second half, the lengthy Walls Of Jericho emerges amidst a baroque barrage of guitars before suddenly shifting its ground to incorporate a female lead vocal that is as unexpected as a dash of water to the face. An ambitious track, Walls Of Jericho benefits from its radically different approach, and it says much of the band’s newfound confidence that they would deviate from their established template, and so effectively. Leach, however, is even better, and the band wield their power with skill and precision as they take the listener on a journey bristling with threat. That power and precision remains on full display on The Bone Collector, an impressive showcase of Llyod’s skill behind the kit and a track that is neatly augmented by synth strings. After so exhaustive a run, the short, instrumental segue, The Perpetual Darkness provides some much-needed respite before the bombastic Ashes For Eternity ramps up those Queensryche comparisons as mighty riffs and mellifluous strings vie for attention. With the album edging towards its conclusion, Thirteenth Sign unleash the remarkable epic, Silent Witness. Awash with Eastern promise, it makes good on the earlier ambition and draws as much from Dio as it does from Death Angel, Reno’s vocals reaching a new peak in the process. With strings, samples and towering riffs, it marks the album’s undisputed high point and it leaves The Scars Of Betrayal to bring the album to a close on a similarly melodic note.
Thirteenth Sign are one of the most ambitious bands currently working the UK circuit and adopting a grand narrative approach seems to have turbo-charged their song-writing. It’s not perfect, however. Whilst the second half of the album is effectively woven together with samples and segues, the first half is less well-managed, with less obvious connection between tracks. There are also moments where the band’s ambition outstrips the production, with songs like Demons Within not quite achieving the symphonic heights for which the band appear to be aiming. However, these are minor criticisms of a largely excellent album. The new band members have gelled exceptionally well, and in Reno Ramos the band have found a superlative vocalist of depth and power. More to the point, the stunning second half of the album (boasting such tracks as Leach, Ashes For Eternity and Silent Witness) is pretty much flawless in both execution and delivery. Overall, The Ashes Of Treacherous Silence is another triumph for Thirteenth Sign and, if there’s any justice at all, it will see the band finally start to garner the recognition they so richly deserve. 9/10
