Breaking The Silence With TOM. S ENGLUND & VIKRAM SHANKAR From SILENT SKIES

Interview by Kris Peters
The pairing of Evergrey's Tom. S. Englund and acclaimed US-based
pianist/composer Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Lux Terminus) might at
first seem like a strange combination, but once you have taken the
time to digest the sheer beauty that is the music of Silent Skies
things fall easily into perspective.
Over the course of two previous albums Silent Skies have set about
dismantling convention and expectation by painting sonically rich
landscapes of musical clarity that resonate long after each
listen.
The band returned earlier this week with their third album Dormant,
an album which shows yet another metamorphosis of their combined
vision.
Shankar and Englund both spoke with HEAVY on the eve of the release
of Dormant.
"We think that it's our best statement yet," Shanker obliged, "and
a level up pretty much in all of the ways that characterize what we
do."
"We spent, honestly, an unhealthy amount of time on this album,"
Englund added. "We've been into every detail, because that's
something we really enjoy doing. Now it's time to leave it for the
world to enjoy instead of us having to be in it and fiddle around
with stuff that we no longer can affect. Hopefully people enjoy it.
Honestly, we are super, super happy with what we have accomplished
on this album."
In the full interview, we discuss Dormant musically, the singles
released and how they represent the album as a whole, new elements
on the album and ways they approached recording, the cinematic
aspect to their music, how Dormant differs to the first two albums,
how much musical growth Silent Skies have left in them, more about
Vikram and his musical pedigree, why they started the band, future
plans and more.