Track By Tracks: Silent Knight - Full Force (2022)

1. Blood In The Water:

Blood in the water addresses the mob mentality that can form when a platform is given to oppressors. False narratives are written and individuals are often scapegoated. Ironically though, it’s not long before many bridges are burned, and sometimes the crowd realizes they have the power to rise against the oppressor and change the narrative. This was the first track written for the record and became a setlist regular prior to Dan Brittain joining the band.

2. Full Force:

Like most Silent Knight songs, the lyrics often have a fantasy edge that serves as metaphors for real-life scenarios. Life can often throw unexpected curveballs, forcing us to turn within and follow our unshakeable certainty to see us through... the Masterplan, some would say. As such, Full Force focuses on removing roadblocks, firing on all cylinders, our love of metal, and celebrating of what we do as a band. It musically concentrates on the high-energy elements of the Silent Knight sound and was the first track written specifically with Dan’s voice in mind.

3. The Last Candle Burns:

A tale of a young warrior's hunger for power and the desire to make their mark on the world, this story is reflective of our own desires to always reach just further than our grasp. Never quite looking back and always striving for something beyond reach, just when you think there is nothing left; the last candle burns!

This one was particularly fun to make from an instrumental standpoint, as it included many layers of guitar harmonies, orchestrations, and vocal textures that we’d never quite explored before.

4. Dark & Mysterious Times:

The background story with the lyrics is reminiscent of an ancient, sci-fi theme. It centers around some sort of diabolical sorceress practicing human sacrifice to discover the keys to whatever insane outcome she is seeking. However, she instead returns from her death as a slave. The music for this track was written by Stu in collaboration with Dan Brittain for his solo album prior to him joining Silent Knight. The band then decided to resurrect and tailor it a little more to its power metal leanings when writing for the record.

5. Screaming Eagle:

The 101st Airborne Division (code named ‘Screaming Eagles’) was an air assault unit that played a significant role in the D-Day landings during World War II. Their mobile capabilities earned them a fearsome reputation as the US Army’s ‘tip of the spear’. This provided great lyrical inspiration when it came to describing the intense energy when we come together as a band, and the bombastic nature of the sound we aim to capture.

6. Into Oblivion:

Based on themes of haunted nightmares and sleep paralysis, Into Oblivion centers around a character who has to navigate their way through a game-like maze that appears in recurring dreams. Their inner voice urges them to turn inwards to find clues within their dreams, providing the key that guides them back to the present when the nightmare takes over.

7. Awakening:

Awakening deals with the loss of identity that can occur when life throws us curveballs, leaving us to stumble our way through in survival mode and compromise who we are. Often, we need to step back, almost in self-imposed isolation to recover, realign and reaffirm who we are... thus, igniting our inner flame once again.

8. Create A New World:

Create A New World speaks to the enduring 'never say die' attitude of the band and the heavy metal world. Drawing parallels between its evolution and the lifecycle of a universe as witnessed by its creator, it illustrates how the power of unity is greater than the sum of its parts. Though times and trends change, foundations sway or even fall completely, there is a driving force that is enduring, always constant, ready to rebuild and achieve even greater things.