Country: USA (Montana)
Genre: Death Doom Metal, Progressive Metal, Atmospheric Sludge Metal
Release:
2026
For fans of: The Ruins of Beverast, Cult of Luna, Thou
The second full-length album by the American band Galvanist, titled «The Silence Between Stars», is a deep, atmospheric dive into human nature. Drawing inspiration from the philosophy of Georges Bataille, the record deals with the painful birth of existence, the search for meaning and the connection between entities beyond the material body. The production serves the band’s vision impeccably, building a massive, suffocating wall of sound that ideally combines dark Death/Doom with complex Progressive structures.
Review / Comment Hey there brothers, Kostas here! Well, let’s face it, there’s been an “obsession” with progressive metal for years. If you don’t throw in some philosophy, a Jung quote or a bit of Nietzsche, how will you convince anyone your music has depth? I’m joking of course, but this style often ends up feeling a bit pretentious. Still, in an age where thinking has gone out the window, seeing bands actually digging for something has its own magic.
Galvanist from Montana left the classics behind and picked up the French philosopher Georges Bataille. Know him? Neither do I, I won’t lie to you! But this guy wrote some crazy stuff, and the band built the dark, sick universe of their new record on his ideas.
Getting to the point, the guys waste no time. The album explodes with the atmospheric “Bornless”. Some strange synths drop you into a void, until “Atrophy” comes in and slaps you awake. Violent guitars, Tanner Erhart’s harrowing, sick vocals, and Chris Navarro behind the drums delivering pain. The guy goes from sluggish pounding to blast beats that suck you in like a black hole. Amid all this chaos, the keys create a tremendous atmosphere. Sometimes they suffocate you and sometimes – as on “Dreich” – they produce an incredible, melancholic beauty. And the best part? The album flows like water. Each track stands on its own, but together they form a solid whole.
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Now let’s get to the negatives, because they exist too. The intro (“Bornless”), let’s be honest, is a minute that could easily have been cut or folded into “Atrophy” to save us the pointless track. Also, although the sound is huge and crushing, Kevin George’s bass is almost invisible. A classic metalhead “problem” in the production. Small things though, and they don’t ruin the overall picture.
So why do I rate it 6.7? The answer is simple. While Galvanist do everything right – they play brilliantly, the atmosphere is there, the compositions make sense – I feel that spark is missing. That inexplicable, magical X-Factor that will make the record stick in your mind and keep you playing it on repeat. It’s a very good, solid piece of work that comes highly recommended to anyone who likes the genre, but it’s perhaps a click away from being called a “masterpiece”. Maybe in the future I’ll feel it more, but for now, I’ll stop here.
Favourite tracks: Atrophy, Dreich
Rating: 6.7/10
