Back in 2008, A Broken Silence burst onto the scene with their debut album All for What. From its opening track “Are You Not Entertained” their style of rap meets rock is clear to hear. Founding members Torcha (John Chmielewski) and Daniel Bartulovich moulded a collection of songs with a purpose that demanded attention. From then, they continued to impress with the self-titled release (2011) and All the Way Down (2017).
A Broken Silence return with their highly anticipated new album Soul. It is said to be more personal than the previous records, but they are still offering some elements about political issues. Bartulovich has said “This album is definitely back to what we are all about. Hip hop/rock with a modern take on the production and sound. The last album we experimented with a lot of electronic production which was fun. However, this time we wanted to incorporate what we had learnt from the last LP and fuse it with what we really loved about the original records as well”.
After the short intro track “37”, the album bursts into life with “Wake Up”. The thunderous drums and monstrous riffs set up a mood that means business. Torcha then comes in with “Seems like the pressure is building / No time to spend with my children / Seems like I’m working for nothing / Feels like I’ve wasted a million”. The band’s trademark sound is complete when Bartulovich arrives for the chorus. From here until the end, he adds his blend of melodic vocals and screaming dynamics to the mix.
Throughout the release, you have to admire how this duo delivers each song with such confidence. Over time, they have learnt what works and what does not. They now know how to blend their rock/hip-hop soundtrack with their impactful stories/messages to maximum effect.
Through the album, the different vocal styles and range are always impressive. Many of the tracks feature both of them adding so much power to their words. However, their voices stand out even more during the softer offering “Little Chorus”. From the outset, the acoustic guitar sets up a gentle tone which is reflected in the opening lines by Torcha. The song excels further when the chorus arrives. Bartulovich gives it so much soul as he shares the lines “A little chorus to say / when your little bridge starts to break / I’ll be the first one to reach for your hand / A little chorus to say / when your little bridge starts to break / I’ll come running home, I’ll always be there for you”.
A Broken Silence stands out from others of the same musical genre because of their way with words. Their songwriting has continued to excel with each new album. It has made them more confident to be more honest with their writing. As a result, Soul is their best work to date.
No song highlights their impressive lyrical talent more than the title track. “Soul” is a thought-provoking piece that opens up with “I’ve been getting lost in the matrix”. They mould their words to question life/reality and do so with various questions/statements. The lines that have the most impact is “Do you believe in ObEN or angels? / Are the tales of Noah fables? / If so, Why the fabrication? / If Gods real, why the war and hatred? / Why are we getting lost in emotion”.
To hear A Broken Silence at their best, listen to “Young Blood”. The intro features a beat to set up the mood before the wordsmith skills from Torcha comes into play. He shares a tale about not letting society dictate how our children should be. Instead, they should be free to become who they want to be. It is enforced with the chorus “We are the light here, we are the young blood / You won’t take our minds from us no / We are the light here, we are the young blood / Sign on the dotted line to escape from the unjust”. It brings together all the qualities which make this band stand out.
‘Soul’ shows that rap/rock is more than the music. It is about the impressive storytelling by A Broken Silence
A Broken Silence is back with a bang! The guys have crafted a collection of songs that impresses on so many levels. It shows that music that blends rock and rap is more than noise. It is about storytelling and the messages that these guys want to share. Soul deserves your time, so press play and enjoy!
