NM&TSF fall into the latter category, a group who, since forming last November, have had a series of serious commercial accolades including winning the 2016 97.7 HTZ-FM’s Rocksearch, being a Regional Top 10 finalist for CBC Searchlight, and being the 2016 Windsor-Walkerville Fringe Festival Battle Winners. NM&TSF carries a mighty rock and roll axe drawing serious blood with each swing.
The first track “Land” opens with an electronic industrial vibe kicking into a big guitar riff and horror, Rob Zombie rhythm guitar, then continues to sound like the Living End writing a song for Billy Talent. As a bonus, “Land” has a well-shot, horror tinged video with a rubberized monster hand symbolizing emotional conflict and distress. Or maybe it is about a rubber monster hand…
“Unhappy” is a groovy, pop rock, sing along tune in the vein of the Wheatmonkeys with a nod to British vocal phrasing. It’s a song that makes feeling unhappy the happiest part of someone’s day.
“What Are You Doing” is the first glimpse of early Jordan Cook (Reignwolf) in a medium blues with shredding guitars. The back ground vocals are a mix of Oasis produced by Matthew Sweet, open “ahs” with well-produced harmonic pushes.
The title track “Collection of Thoughts”, “Dead Heroes”, and “Home” are Oasis having a few non-pretentious days writing solid tunes with Raine Maida making a few guest appearances on vocals. “Dead Heroes” and “Home” have the added touch of a string arrangement and the big, medium-paced open Oasis sound with emo-effected vocal pushes at the end, Paul McCartney if he fronted a metal band, or if the Rheostastics performed for a passing by ferry boat on the rocky beaches of Brighton.
All parts, shots and breaks are played in air-tight unison. Over-all, there is no slack on this album, production value is seamless without any misused space.
Lyrically the album discusses self-discovery, self-loss, and the repeated travels taken between the heart, mind, and soul. At times allegorical, at times pointed, listeners are taken on various emotional, physiological, and spiritual, journeys.
The closing tracks, “Prelude to Goodbye” and “Last Goodbye” are microcosms in the study of popular music history and forms. “Prelude to Goodbye” is an acoustic guitar song in the classic style of Jimmy Page with the open chord intensity of Pete Townsend. “Last Goodbye” continues the open Led Zeppelin rock transitioning into the Police for the verse, with Billy Talent guitar tracks in the back half. The chorus evokes Our Lady Peace melodically, sonically and vocally, referencing back to the Police / Billy Talent side project for the verses.
What’s Up for 2017
The Silence Factory will be travelling across Canada again in 2017. In between shows they will be working on recording new material and hope to put out a new album in the summer. The band’s latest single, High released in January of 2017 was produced by Gavin Brown at Noble Street Studios and the band plans to record one more single with Gavin in the spring. The band will also be working with Vic Branco at Iguana Studios.