A new name for me, this Chvad SB (and how to pronounce that? That’s why our podcast doesn’t have spoken intros to each track. I don’t want to run the risk of being laughed at an ‘entirely’ wrong pronunciation). This Chvad SB has been a member of such as Things Outside The Skin, The Qualia and recently Controlled Bleeding. In 2010 he founded his own band Tongue Muzzle. I received three of his most recent releases. Following a quick scan of all three I started with the solo CD, which I guess is indeed all solo. There is no specification towards which instruments were used, but my best guess would be electronics, synthesizers, guitars and maybe some other stuff, such as voice, but then heavily processed. Silber tells us that some of this stuff was improvised and some were composed over a number of years. I couldn’t tell which apart, and I am not sure if that is a good or a bad thing. A piece like ‘The Dust Cloud Permeates’, the longest on the disc, seemed improvised and didn’t do much for me. It seemed to revolve around a few sounds, loosely played on the guitar, some drone in the background, but not very well defined. I must say that the more electronic pieces were, the more I seemed to like them. When a guitar comes in it seems to bring down the music a bit, and if it was (all) electronic it seemed to be more together and quite powerful. I was reminded in the use of these synthesizers in a dark, atmospheric tone of some of the work of Controlled Bleeding, such as ‘The Poisoner’. Those pieces I liked best and luckily they were a majority around here. Maybe mastering the whole thing would have been an idea? Maybe I am wrong?

Review by; Frans de Waard

Originally published in Vital Weekly #933 here:
http://www.vitalweekly.net/933.html