Melody with a metal flare 

Making their debut with Edge of Existence, recently-formed Silvertomb delivers a mid-tempo doom full-length studio album that will leave Type O Negative and Seventh Void fans satisfied. Kenny Hickey, the founder and former member of the aforementioned bands, brought about this project after the end of Seventh Void and brought along his bandmate Jonny Kelly. 

On the band’s Facebook page they reveal that this nine-song album deals with “Kenny’s personal struggle with addiction, love and suicide and the death of his singer and frontman Peter Steele,” as well as the “disbandment of Type O Negative.” 

From the opener, “Insomnia / Sunrise,” that starts off with a burst of ominous laughter, Hickey’s vocals are loud, clear and right at the forefront. During the last minute, the track is stripped of drums and just a faint strumming accompanies his voice. Throughout the entirety of Edge of Existence, his vocals are center stage and commanding.  

The following two tracks, “Love You Without No Lies” and “So True,” both start with a piano sequence. The one in the former is more forceful and dark compared to the lighter sequence in the latter that transitioned with the ring of a guitar. 

In the middle of the album, “Right of Passage / Crossing Over” offers listeners a sick guitar solo that cements this song as a standout. Two songs later, the flow of the album gets disrupted a little with “Sleeping On Nails And Wine.” While being the shortest track of the album, it also is the only one that is fully acoustic. Since the rest of the tracks sound similar, this one throws off the vibe. But, that is the only downfall of the track. The lyrics are solid and make people pay attention. 

Overall, the vocals throughout tend to stay consistent at the same tone, but the songwriting is solid so each track stands apart. Edge of Existence is a great start off to Silvertomb’s existence and is a great combo of metal and melody. Fans of Hickey’s last two bands will enjoy this new creation that he has put together and anyone who listens should be excited for what can come from this band.