Break The Silence

VOX (short for Voices of Extreme) is prepped to release their second album - Break The Silence - a few short days before Halloween.  Although the New York rock outfit hasn't put anything out since 2005, the talent hasn't disappeared over time.  Singer Don Chaffin and the boys bring together a multitude of influences from different eras of rock that ensure all serious metalheads should find a few tracks to enjoy.

Chaffin utilizes a vocal style that settles somewhere between 80's hair metal and the rise of grunge in the early 90's.  Basically, VOX maintains a heavy sound without resorting to screaming, unintelligible lyrics.  Break The Silence kicks off with "Damned" showcasing catchy lyrics and some sharp playing by Swedish born guitarist Nick Gertsson.  Speaking of Gertsson, be sure to check out his solo work on "Hollow" and "Blown Away."  "Tell Me What It Takes" provides more evidence of the band's solid songwriting and clearly exudes a bit of influence from Metallica.

About halfway through the album, I came to the realization that Break The Silence is loaded with the best songs at the beginning.  As I am not much of a fan of rock ballads, the three included on this album became tiresome.  Chaffin sings about a heartless woman on "Made of Stone" and then on "More Than Anything" he croons about loving a much younger lady.  It's hokey, cheesy, and certainly representative of 80's rock.  My least favorite track would have to be "Numb" where the band implements a continuous beat and Chaffin delivers vocals much faster than usual.  Obviously the track was something of an experiment, but it would have been better left off the album.  80's rock fans should definitely check out Break The Silence and most modern rock fans may like the heavier tracks.  Worth a listen.