I have recently deduced that whilst heavy metal has been divided into various genres for decades from traditional to black, glam to thrash, there is one genre that will forever divide opinion especially in my mind, and that genre is of the melodic/symphonic variety. There is a fine line between brilliance and monotonous, so where bands such as Finland's Thunderstone and Phantom X from USA get the formula to perfection there are so many others churning out tiresome, uninspiring musical fodder.

Which leads us to French metallers Silent Fall who describe themselves as a blend of melodic, death, and symphonic metal. Where the death metal description comes into the equation leaves me totally perplexed as I can only assume that I slept through that moment. The album opens up with a fairly decent number 'Who Is The Fool?', a song featuring some mighty keyboards, a vocalist with a fairly impressive rock vocal style along with some accomplished guitaring care of lead guitarist Olivier Caron and rhythm guitarist Pierre Cabannes. The problem is that the album pretty much continues in the same vein throughout and there is very little variation in vocalist Adrien Eyraud's dulcet tones, which quickly become wearisome as each number rolls into another.

By the time I reach the third track 'Haunted Sights' the words "Axe Attack" spring to mind. As any heavy metal experts out there will recall there was a classic NWOBHM compilation that sat on every young heavy metal fans turntable at the beginning of the Eighties, but I'm not referring to that classic album instead I'm referring to a visit to the shed, getting my trusty hatchet and smashing the infuriating keyboards that litter this album to pieces, never has a keyboard sounded so irritating to my mind and I grew up in a household of new romantics!

The only thing more frustrating than that dreadful clamour of the keyboard is the previously mentioned mundane vocal style. There are moments where I almost drifted off to the mediocrity on offer, each track reminded me of an entry in the Eurovision song contest, repetitive and containing more cheese than the band's neighbours Holland. I actually slipped into a Katie Boyle/Terry Wogan moment during one of my many listens to 'Otherwise' and awarded the album "nul points" but that would be very unfair. There is one moment during 'Otherwise' where the band do attempt some variety and that is during the song 'This Could Have Been' where they invite Wildpath vocalist Marjolaine Bernard to accompany them. The only trouble being is she has a voice as a mediocre as her male vocal counterpart, far more replicating the tones of singing nun Mary Hopkins than rock goddess Cristina Scabbia.

Rather than leave this review on a sour note, I will point out that the musicianship on the album is note perfect, along with the production, and I'm sure that fans of the melodic metal scene will adore 'Otherwise'. Personally for me, if I don't hear the horrendous extravagant keyboard sounds displayed on this album for the rest of my life then it will be too soon.

www.myspace.com/silentfallmetal