Style: Avant‑garde Black Metal / Post‑Metal / Dark Rock
For fans of: Ulver, Laster, Kayo Dot, Oranssi Pazuzu
Country: USA (Philadelphia)
Release: March 20, 2026
Duration: 48 minutes
Looking Glass Hymnal Blue is one of those albums you don’t just listen to — you go inside them. The Silver continue from where they left off with Ward of Roses, but here they go deeper, darker and more personal. The band plays with black metal, doom, prog and dark rock, but the result doesn’t resemble any of them individually. It’s something of their own.
The album opens with the title track, which puts you straight into the mood: melodies that resemble old, dusty opera, guitars that weave atmosphere and vocals that cut like a blade. Duchemin screams, whispers, sings — whatever is needed to pull you into the album’s mood.
“Two Candles” is one of the strongest moments. Almost 9 minutes that build intensity without you realizing it. “Memorias” is shorter but melodic, with nice lines that linger. “Tendrils” is darker and more direct, while “When the Moon is Three” has that strange, almost ritualistic feel that characterizes the whole album.
“The Demon Bridge” is one of the album’s most “black metal” points, but without losing the theatricality that The Silver have. “Twilight of Love” is short, almost like an interlude, and leads into “My Lone Dark Lantern”, a track that closes the album in the best way: slow, melancholic, full of images.
The lyrics play with themes of self-knowledge, inner struggle, memory and dreams. They’re not “easy”, but they fit perfectly with the music. Richie DeVon’s production and Damian Herring’s mix/master give the album that hazy, blue atmosphere that makes it sound like you’re in an old, haunted theater.
Looking Glass Hymnal Blue is not an album to put in the background. It wants time and mood. But if you get into its vibe, it rewards you with a world that is dark, beautiful and very distinctive. The Silver have found their own voice and here they evolve it as well as possible.
Score: 7.7/ 10
