Silverstein Album: “Shipwreck in the Sand [Deluxe Edition]”

Their first two albums were simply amazing and I was so excited when arrival and departures came out. However, I was completely let down. In no means was it a bad CD. It just felt like the band, abandoned their hardcore roots and opted for a more pop esque like album. Which made me skeptical about their new release.

But I think its safe to say Silverstein is back, better than ever. Though the songs on Shipwreck are not as memorable as the likes of Discovering the waterfront, smashed to pieces, or smile in your sleep the CD manages to deliver a overall quality beyond all their previous releases. From the Vocals to the music itself you can tell that they have matured. This is their most talented CD yet.

This is a great CD. it is much better than "Arrivals & Departures." For starters, vocalist Shane Told must have worked on his screaming. There is more screaming in this record. His clean vocals are as great as always. He has put together a great vocal performance from start to finish. The lyrics on Arrivals were bland and cliche, the lyrics are much more powerful and much more meaningful. The guitar work is excellent. The entire band has stepped up in front of Shane. The drumming is much better than on Arrivals. They seemed to have mixed "When Broken is Easily Fixed" with "Discovering the Waterfront" to get this record.

Best song hands down is "A Great Fire." Screaming is awesome, melodic choruses, drumming is great.

I have always liked Silverstein's music but never considered any of their albums as a standout. That all changed with this album. The energy and emotion that is heard in this album makes for a great quality album that will have you feeling energized while you listen to it. This is by far their best album with Discovering the Waterfront as number 2. If you liked Discovering but was afraid after hearing their last album it is time to give them a try again and listen to this album. Standout tracks on this album include Vices, Born Dead, I am the Arsonist, and A Great Fire. Overall i would give this album a 9 out of 10.

"A Shipwreck in the Sand" is only the second Silverstein album I have listened to (Discovering the Waterfront being the only one prior to this) and I must say, it is quite good. Silverstein have a much more mature sound with this effort over DTWF and this album has some very solid tracks that get stuck in my head for quite some time after listening. "Vices" is definitely my favorite Silverstein track and one of those songs that is seared into your memory banks and you will find yourself singing long after the song is over.

Overall, this cd is worth picking up and a very good 2009 release.

I gotta chime in with another 5 star review. I'm not gonna bother saying which songs are the best, there's so many. The title track is my favorite, though. Every song is good, so far I haven't skipped any. I hope these guys gain popularity for this record because it's brilliant.