There is not a whole lot to say about Italy’s Tystnaden that would be of significance to the average metal fan. Their sound leans towards the Finnish end of the Scandinavian spectrum, a la bands like Nightwish, Tarot, and Sinergy, although their use of male/female vocals is more reminiscent of countrymen Lacuna Coil. With a little research, I found out that this is their second full-length – and that I may have crossed paths with the band previously via their 2003 Fragments demo. That I didn’t recognize this right away to me says something about that recording, and it seems to be pretty much the same thing I can say about In Our Eye: enjoyable to a point, but not a whole lot to warrant repeated listening.
The album’s biggest fault is that the songs just aren’t that memorable. I’ve listened to this thing over and over, and when I walk away, I can’t remember a hook or lyric, or even hum a melody. It’s strange because the material is pretty decent. “Nevermore” leads the album off and encapsulates the essence of Tystnaden: female sung/male growled vocals, power metal riffs, a little synth and just a hint of orchestration in the background. When I try to recall it, though, I usually end up whistling something from another Italian band – Rhapsody (yes, I still refuse to call them Rhapsody of Fire.) “Born From a Wish” and “Infected” have that same type of vibe, with the latter using the male vocal to drive a nice verse groove. The vibe continues to the end of the album, with some heavier riffs showing up in “Hate” (despite some questionably nu-metal vocals) and “Wrong With All The Feelings” before it all tapers off and . . . well, you forget pretty much everything you just heard.
In Our Eye is not bad or cringe-inducing or anything, it’s just a bit run-of-the-mill. There are so many other bands out there now doing the same thing that just having that male/female vocal thing going on isn’t enough, especially when neither of them is strong enough to carry these songs on their own. More creative songwriting and better hooks would go a long way in making Tystnaden’s next album one to remember.
