Prog-rock is quite an unstable ground to tread upon. One uneven step can send you hurtling into the abyss of ridiculous pretentiousness. As Silence of Another Kind begins, Paatos is already dangerously close to losing their footing. "Shame", while aptly named, does nothing more than give the impression of a rather uninspired band that is simply going through the motions. On top of that, the delivery of vocalist Petronella Nettermalm reaches dangerously close to Evanescence territory.
However, on track two, the band abruptly switches gears. "Your Misery" is driven by a gentle walking bassline and the smooth vulnerability of Nettermalm's vocals. In a perfect world, this is how The Cranberries would sound. "Falling" maintains the mellow mood and finds the band reaching into a more spacious landscape. At this point, the prog-rock sound seems to have been abandoned completely as if the band has finally found their voice. Unfortunately, that voice is compromised on the next track. "Still Standing" appears to be compromising the band's two extremes. But again, the prog-rock tinge spoils the more attractive aspects of the song.
The remaining half of the album maintains the same unsettling push and pull. Lyrically speaking, the entire album straddles the line between politely forgettable and embarrassingly juvenile. Some would easily overlook this aspect due to the bands non-English speaking origin, but I've never been one to patronize.
Ultimately, Silence of Another Kind comes across as a document of two different versions of one band, neither of which are very invested in what they are presenting to their audience. Even with a few brief shining moments, it is far too easy for the listener to find themselves just as indifferent as Paatos.
