Silverstein Surprises With Refreshing Sound And Growth With ‘Antibloom’

Canadian scene staples Silverstein have returned with their twelfth studio album, ‘Antibloom’. This marks their first full-length since 2022’s ‘Misery Made Me’. This also marks the first of a double album this year, the second being ‘Pink Moon’, to drop later in the year to complete the two pieces here. This record dives into what makes this band special and why they’ve had the career and longevity they’ve had, growing further in their sound and not being afraid to try new things while keeping their emo and hardcore roots in tact.

The first track, “Mercy Mercy”, starts off the album on a pretty heavy note. The overall feel of this one gives off such vibes as their peers in Beartooth, while the chorus gives off such a classic post-hardcore energy to it that feels strong and familiar in a way. The bridge and outro here is pretty wild, and unexpected on the first track but it’s very much appreciated and shows this band can pull out a left field turn from time to time.

The record continues with the most recent pre-released single from the record, with “Don’t Let Me Get Too Low”. This is honestly probably my least favorite from the record, simply because it feels most safe compared to the other tracks. But it’s still nonetheless catchy, and they pull off the modern rock vibe they’ve had the past few records really seamlessly. It gives off especially vibes from the last couple of records, which their fans have responded to with open arms.

We follow up with the second single from the record, with “Confession”. This probably has one of the best choruses on the whole record, truly an earworm and one to be sure to get stuck in your head for days with no end. I think the pop elements really shine bright on here, with the orchestral elements backing it really well too. It makes a ton of sense this being a single, as the chorus and melodies are absolutely massive and absolutely a highlight overall.

We reach the end of the first half of this record with the shortest song on here, with “A Little Fight”. I actually think this one seems to have the best melodies on the album, which is impressive with it only being a minute and a half. The chorus gives off such pop-punk energy that this band knows how to tap into really well. Vocalist Shane Told has a great flow during it that comes off so smooth, and shows off his range a bit too. It’s really a nice little bow to side A of this record, short and sweet.

We open the second half of this record with the first single from this record, with “Skin & Bones”. This also taps into a very signature and familiar sound for this band, but I am a bit bias since it harkens back to what got me into this band over a decade prior. The song structure is pretty standard, but it works well on a song like this especially with a chorus as solid as this one. Shoutout to the guitar tap work during the bridge from guitarist Paul Marc Rousseau. Not only that, but I’m a sucker for spoken word being incorporated in great ways during songs…and this one’s no exception.

The riffs start to amp up with these next two tracks, starting with “I Will Destroy This”. This one actually reminds me of modern Memphis May Fire and how they go about their songs, in the best way and it works in spades here. The bridge goes off so hard, and it’s meant for constant replay value. The production shines here with the more crunchy riffs and Shane going off on vocals. It’s accompanied by another banger chorus, and it makes for one of the best songs on here.

We’re followed up with maybe the most out there song on the record, with “Stress”. The riffs continue on strong on this one, and it truly gives off Stray from the Path vibes. I like them changing it up with the screamed chorus here, it reminds me of “Die Alone” on the previous record. The bass here is a real standout from bassist Billy Hamilton. This is one that is sure to go off live and possibly be a step staple, especially with that bridge and breakdown.

The record ends on a real atmospheric vibe, with “Cherry Coke” and I truly appreciate it. The vibe here feels nothing short of immaculate, and the lyrics are a real standout here. A lyric that really stood out to me was, “What if I wasn’t anything but vibrations through a string? Just a melody you’d sing to yourself when you’re alone trying to fill the space”. It feels like such a fitting closer to this record and it shows off just how much variety this band has in store for their fans.

I think that ‘Antibloom’ is a great show of growth and refreshing creativity for Silverstein, and I feel like it’s a strong first of the double albums to get from them this year. It shows just why they stand out from their peers, and that they’d wanna go forward instead of backwards. There feels like there’s something for every one of their fans on a record such as this one, and this band just continues to be impressively consistent throughout their career.