Though it’s been out for a month now, we couldn’t resist taking some time with the newest single from Silent Planet; “Trilogy”. The band are currently on a US tour in honour of the song, with Currents, Invent Animate, and Greyhaven. (Find details on remaining dates here)
“Trilogy” is futuristic from the outset, before slamming home with a roaring “NO!”. Barely 20 seconds in and I’m left feeling off-kilter and uneasy courtesy of the relentless instrumentation. The bombardment continues and the blasts and pressure perfectly suit the red hues of the single’s artwork.
It’s also directly reflected in the lyrics, where “There’s no rest for a machine” paints the impression of an illness of modern society leaving us frayed and static; constantly wired, plugged in, switched on, hustling, growing, and pushing your passion. Just as was my experience of When The End Began, the song is full on, and has this listener easily swept up in the anguish and struggle.
The chorus hits with both its beauty and its change of intensity. Thomas Freckleton‘s voice easily inspires emotion in me with this waterfall of sound. The shift reveals this intense internal war in a new light perhaps; seeing the self and its role in that. Fascinating lyrical moments like “In love with the slow demise” have me see it all as a suicide by bombardment of noise and the need to be permanently switched on. Otherworldly then, “Trilogy” slips downward into a space where voices are whispered and rhythms are hard to grasp. Life slides by, while still feeling entirely immersed in the ‘scene’ that Silent Planet have created.
With palpable terror when Garrett Russell hits the ears again, we’re thrust again into a more blinding state of reality and feeling like we’re on the run. We’re trying to out-manoeuver something that’s crushing and consuming. The riffs speak in this way too as they land heavily and unshakably, as a more agile Garrett darts and dives. He’s seeming to make his way through, but only just.
“Be still and human”
“Trilogy”‘s chorus is just so divinely beautiful when it arrives. Like an angelic rush of light in a moment that’s otherwise threatening. At its end when we hear “Be still and human / Breathe in and be consumed”, and I was undecided as to whether this was something negative or positive, like a remedy to be found, or an idea of surrendering to whatever others would choose to do to you. Regardless, it’s captivating.
Electrifying and building, the breathless repetition of “It’s always red, the static in my head” takes us right into the core of the experience, and I’m a bit lost for words on how to describe this. Building before colliding with a breakdown, the explosion leaves a sense of unease, and a clear absence of connection. Eventually dissolving into pixels of sound, the unease never leaves.
With “Trilogy”‘s music video (filmed by Kevin Johnson and Zachariah Mayfield) showing its cables of connection, rapid leaps from red to neutral, it’s similarly uneasy. The experience of feeling contained while in wide open spaces stands out to me, and it’s a brilliant visual capture of what is heard in the song.
Watch “Trilogy” below via YouTube, or via your preferred streaming service.
