Band : Campus

Album title : We Are The Silence

Label : Funtime

Distributor : Suburban

Release date : 09/05/2008

Release : CD

Having given you a fairly decent overlook on this Belgian band's history only a couple of months ago (when I reviewed the fivesome's self-released Inside The Mind Of A Serial Killer mini-CD, posted 24/02) I think thàt is something we can dispense with here! A small detail needs correcting though: in the first place, seems like when the band signed to Funtime, the latter also agreed on helping 'em to distribute/ promote the EP (or at least, that's what my editor-in-chief insisted on letting you know). Also, originally the album was to get an April street date, but that was postponed somewhat due to circumstances.

Recordings for the new album partly took place at the boys' home studio in February, and at Excess Studio with engineer Sander van Gelswijck (also responsable for recording the drums on the new Sparkle Of Hope album). Then, it was off to Dutch Split Second Sound, where the band co-produced the new material with Jochem Jacobs (of Textures fame, he both mixed and mastered the recordings) in early March (which means they were there at around the same time as the aforementioned SOH, allowing Rik and Tijs to do a guest vocal performance – see also SOH review).

There's a good 14 months between the recordings of their (demo) EP and the official debut, and the boys clearly grew in several aspects (songwriting, the will and increased technical ability to include more and more influences into their music) during that time. That, combined with Jacobs' excellent sound engineering, have made Campus' first full-length into a debut record of formidable format! Funtime concisively describes it as "An explosive collection of songs that show a grown up band using Emo/ Indie Rock and Metallic Hardcore as a solid foundation for their sound, but more importantly...a band that's not afraid of experimenting and using other influences to give the songs that extra kind of character and beauty".

Of course, that description only touches on the essence of Campus' music, and leaves out all the nice little details. Not that I'm into putting all those niceties in a row here, because it would take things too far, really. Let it simply be known that the band doés use calmer passages, which therefore emphasize the more energetic parts that much more efficiently. Among the additional influences I dó wanna stress on the Southern Metal intro bit of "At Enemy Lines", and the more atmospheric "instrumental" (the words, just those of the title, only come at the end) album title track is yet another beautidul passage on the album. But there's more, much more! In fact, the album is chuck-ful of instances where a detail (be it a freaky bit of lead guitar, a wonderfully brought harmonized backing vocal on top of the Screamo-styled leads) will have you sit up from your lazy chair...if indeed you can even remain seated quietly with this kind of hyper-kinetic music!

If you're a fan of melodic and inventive Screamo/ emotional Metalcore, you simply nééd to check this album out. For starters, surf to myspace.com/campusbe, where the band posted 2 songs off the new album (alongside two songs off the 2007 EP and an extra track off their first demo-EP This Time I Scream For More). When comparing the stuff, I'm sure you'll agree that, even if some elements were present from the beginning, the band's technical abilities have grown considerably. Just like me, you might even consider putting We Are The Silence in your year-lists...give the album enough listening sessions, and I'm sure you wíll!!!

98/100

Tony.