Metalcatto
It’s almost summer here up north. It’s sunny, warm, and beautiful. What better way to ruin all of that than by listening to some soul-crushing and godless Death and Doom Metal from the pit? In Vespro is dropping this album named Where Silence Used To Sleep, which obviously isn’t going to be about riding into the sunset with all your friends and family singing happy songs. It’s going to make you go back to therapy—or that’s what I hope for. But you know how it is with the mellow stuff. Hit or miss.
Well, Silence isn’t exactly a miss. It’s consistent, engulfing, and agonizing, but not all in a terribly heavy way. This is indeed a sad album that reminds you of all your past mistakes, but it also brings back the best of this niche subgenre. Though it never changes at all, it still brings me joy—that’s such a masochistic statement. In Vespro takes a lot of influence from 90s Katatonia, Officium Triste, or even old Swallow the Sun. If anything, it does the same thing but in a compressed package.
When I say compressed, I don’t mean the production sucks—though it’s as clean as we’ve gotten used to. I mean that the tracks actually don’t last fifteen minutes each. That’s a great change for this type of music that usually overstays its welcome. Also, I want to point out that though guitar solos here don’t get the most attention, when they do, they still the show much more than expected. I loved that. Bring back Death and Doom with sick solos. We need that for a change. Not everything is black roses here, though.
You see, Silence is consistent and gives you exactly what you expect from typical depressive music. The problem with that is that if you’ve listened to any of the bands I’ve named above, then you won’t be too surprised. It’s a safe listen for fans of the genre, but I do wish it defied convention more than just in terms of guitar solos. How could In Vespro do that? Honestly, I’m a dumb music reviewer. I’ve got no clue how to help, just how to complain. But I know these guys have the talent.
This is Pegah‘s kind of album, or even Vicky‘s. But to me, this is what I need in certain moments. I can come back to this sound here and there, but in general, Silence is for the diehard fans of Death and Doom Metal. If you’re one of those people who hate the sun, then this is totally for you. It’s also for me—someone who is probably less dysfunctional—but I also acknowledge its safety. Anyway, give it a spin and cry along. Sometimes that’s exactly what the season demands.
Label: Meuse Music Records
Release date: May 29th, 2026
Website: https://meusemusicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/in-vespro-where-silence-used-to-sleep-mmr078
Country: Italy
Score: 3.5/5.0
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