Last Leaf Down - Weight of Silence

Angry Metal Guy

I imagine we all have our own personal keywords that snag our attention and interest. Marketers (and record labels) know this and try their best to capitalize on our weakness. The descriptor “dreamy shoegaze from the woods” doesn’t sound particularly like something one might look for on Angry Metal Guy, nevertheless, it was the deciding factor for me to fish Weight of Silence out of the promo bin. Last Leaf Down originally formed in Switzerland in 2003 as a “dark doom” metal band. Whatever that sounds like, we may never know because on their debut album Fake Lights in 2014 they had already veered into the shoegaze sphere. Now, coming off a long break since 2017’s Bright Wide Colder, Last Leaf Down offers a reinvigorated interpretation of this timeless genre.

Although I’m not so sure that the woodsy label fits, Weight of Silence is certainly dreamy. The serene, melancholic atmosphere strongly reminds of Slowdive. Last Leaf Down have been steadily adding more and more alt-rock to their original shoegaze formula, specifically the polished, moody alt-rock of Snow Patrol and The Fray. The pairing is a good one; the hazy allure of shoegaze and the reliable structure of alt-rock complement each other well. As might be expected, Weight of Silence is heavily reliant on the vocals, and Benjamin Schenk’s voice has a vulnerable timbre that gives the music a distinct character. He’s clearly been working to stretch his singing abilities further during the extended break, and, despite the occasional signs of strain, he sounds more confident compared to prior albums.

Weight Of Silence by Last Leaf Down

Weight of Silence seems designed to magnify rather than produce intense emotion. This is largely a function of the instrumentation’s stripped-back, minimalist nature. The guitar parts are usually simple and supportive (I was surprised that three guitarists are credited), with nary a keyboard or synthesizer to be heard. In some ways, this approach is refreshing, as it leaves plenty of room for Daniel Dorn’s bass lines to add subtle depth in “Cold Heart” and satisfying heft to the chorus of “Reach the Sun.” On the other hand, the guitars and drums seem relegated to primarily building atmosphere and supplementing Schenk’s vocals. I appreciate the instances when they can break free from the norm a bit, like the swirling post-rock guitar melodies in the ending of “The Ending”¹ or the tom grooves in the second half of “Falling Sky.”

This probably explains why the closer I pay attention to Weight of Silence, the less invested I feel. It makes for a great companion while sitting at my desk late at night, catching up on work, but my focused listening time usually results in lukewarm enjoyment. The more upbeat songs with well-defined choruses are, understandably, more memorable (“Illusion,” “Mislead,” “Reach the Sun”), while others feel too repetitive, particularly in the lyric structure. Album opener “Silence” is the biggest offender of this, with some variation of the phrase “It feels like I’ve lost myself” comprising around half of its lyrics sheet. To Last Leaf Down’s credit, they have improved at self-editing. The shorter overall runtime helps the punchier moments retain their potency and ushers the less engaging parts along, making Weight of Silence far from the longest 42-minute record I’ve heard.

The best way I can sum up Weight of Silence is that it’s aggressively inoffensive. Like morning mist, it’s pretty, pleasant, and refreshing when the mood strikes, but also ultimately immaterial. It’s the strongest Last Leaf Down album to date, and I like the direction in which they are trending. Their blend of shoegaze, alt-rock, and post-rock makes for an agreeable musical palette. I wouldn’t mind hearing them revive the dark doom style that they purportedly used to play, as I think it could have real potential inside this framework. I encourage anyone who, like me, feels even slightly enticed by the phrase “dreamy shoegaze from the woods” to take a chance on Weight of Silence.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Lifeforce Records
Websites: lastleafdownlfr.bandcamp.com | lastleafdown.ch | facebook.com/lastleafdown
Releases Worldwide: April 11th, 2025

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