Follow a simple formula and you’ll hit it big if you’re a rock band. This recipe for success doesn’t seem to elude most rock bands today, so what is this golden equation? The variables change from time to time but they’re not important, as long as it all adds up to equal that detestable five-letter word: trend. It’s no surprise then, that when the bandwagon cracks under the weight of a rabid mass of screaming fans with MTV in their blood, they waste no time in finding another means of transportation to tote themselves into the demise of yet another musical furor. Thankfully, Sweden has nurtured one of the most refreshing rock acts to rear their heads in The States. Blindside’s album, Silence, soars high above the ubiquitous trends of rock music today. Being hailed as one of the finest bands to emerge from Sweden (well, what else has come from there?), Blindside solidifies their standing as an invigoratingly solid rock act.

Two albums ago, Blindside’s raw metal edge screamed with potential and sparked the same thought with all that heard: “Give them a couple years and they’ll blow you away”. Those years have passed and maturation has given Blindside’s music enough thrust to break through the ice of Sweden’s underground scene and makes its way to the U.S. Blending a watered down hardcore sound with melodic verses and choruses, Blindside begs to be listened to. Backbreaking guitar swells through the tracks in a sea of guitar driven emotion, ceasing only as it transitions to melodic airy guitar effects that lay out to cushion the vocals soon to come. Christian Lindskog’s voice has flourished beautifully since he was last heard. The frequent cathartic screams that once filled his music have been replaced by raspy rhythmic vocals that flow eagerly and, at times, are pleasantly off tempo over the guitar laded tracks. Starting off the album is “Caught in a Glimpse”, a song that proves Blindside’s passion for heaviness has not been drained from their veins as Christian’s fiery vocals are swatted back and fourth between a barrage of crunchy guitar. Adding a bit of diversity to Silence is the highlight track, “Midnight”. It’s an atmospheric tune drenched in melancholy instrumentals and vocals that ebbs from the blistering pace of the album and gives the listener four minutes of a warmly embraced melodic repose.

Fingers won’t be straying anywhere near the CD player to switch tracks as Silence spins. Thirteen solid tracks of in your face rock pound away with little mercy but, invariably, the CD has its flaws. Guitarist Simon Grenehed might as well take a hammer to his guitar strings as he batters out intense riffs, but his failure to switch the tone on his guitar from track to track adds a trickle of monotony that permeates through the heavily formulated songs. The formula for success Blindside uses may not equal “trend” but unfortunately, it’s consistently reused for song structure. Without changing the variables between songs, one song leads to another just like it, and so on. In the end, the uniformity of the tracks may curb the numbers of spins Silence receives. Fortunately for them, Blindside’s ability to create such an addictive sound allows this flaw to almost be overlooked in its melodious fulfillment.

They have begun to ride the radio waves of numerous stations. Blindside demanded a place under the lights with their music and they received it. The spotlight has been flicked on, Blindside has taken center stage, and they’ve merited it all. With a style that deviates from the trendy radio rock of today, Blindside are just beginning to warm up to the icy shackles that have kept them one of Sweden’s best kept secrets. The States have been pelted with far too many foreign clone bands that share the word “The” in their title. If Blindside continues to stay true to the music that has propelled them this far, it would be no surprise to see them emerging as one of the hottest foreign acts to grace the States.

 ~ Greg Olmeda