Lista de los grupos Alternative Metal The Shiver (ITA) A New Horizon

The Shiver is a promising young band from Italy which drew a public attention mainly after their UK tour in 2008. And now, finally, after demo “Shade’s Changing” and an album “Inside” their second full length album “A New Horizon” is ready to see the light of the world.


Not so much surprisingly, the sound is slightly better and improvement vivid than on the previous recordings. The technical elements are well done and the voice of a leader singer, Faith, sounds natural and very forcefully, despite the look of a porcelain doll on the booklet. The Shiver sounds like a fresh air, which is quite appreciated, especially in the genre, where is really difficult to sound original. And in this case they are, even though the elements like the tirades with abridgement of the guitars or just a few synth tones in total quiet are quite common.


Since the very first song, the album sounds strikingly and suggestive, but still isn’t mellow, what is in my view a merit of unfortunately not very frequent male growl. The lead-off In Obscurity takes you into the obscurity. Literally. Both, the music and the lyrics are catchy but still not giving the shiver as one would hope for the title. The song is more pushing than mystical or mysterious. And with this spirit follows as well the second track, Crushing Down. Yeah, the song quite similar to the previous one but the whispers and the growl that supported the lead voice gave it the soul which the first one missed a little. But still I have to pay a tribute to a singer for walking the thin line between clean singing and almost shouting.


Empty People Empty Words is anything but empty. And despite the depressingly looking name, some kind of happiness gushes from the song. As well as from the following The Fragile Sound. In my view, this one is the most catchy song from the whole album, maybe because this one is also the simplest one as well. Except of the piano passages which are short, yet still very sententious.


But after the excitement comes a little cold shower. Nothing Left To Waste has a lot to offer, but the singing and the melody don’t match very much. Although separately they are quite good both. And after this comes Through This Cold Water, with cooling melody and the vocals sound like a lullaby. In a good way of course. This is a great show of Faith’s range of voice and the feelings she can put in her singing. From melancholic almost whispering to passionate locution. A metal ballade with everything it should have.


An explosion of emotions is interchanged by... other one. Leech and Flowers is a mellow, delightful ballade with more progressive elements than the previous one, less melodic and more striking. But still sinking between the other eleven songs. It doesn’t harm you but also doesn’t stuck in your mind.


For this album classically started with few piano tunes comes a track Answers, with more powerful riffs and more anger. A little monotonic but a pleasant change after a dose of mellowness. And what Answers missed, Feel Tomorrow Light fully compensates. It is heavier than most of the album and gives it a fallout which’s climax comes with Desire. An almost spoken part sounds very good in the context of whole song.


No Longer Here starts way too slowly but continues into the exact opposite of the beginning. And as well as the lyrics, the song is a harbinger of the end. In this case of the album finished by Bring Me To The Horizon. If you would be waiting for an explosive finish, the anticipation would kill you. The song contains only a few simple beats, chants, chords and occasionally a few other elements. But as a whole it appeals like a sedative for a stoic. Unneeded but pleasant in its own way.


Yes, personally, the album brought me some new horizon, although in general you can’t hear anything world-shaking or shockingly new. But still, if you give it a chance, it will show its potential which is promising.