There are also echoes of Diary of Dreams, particularly during "My Eyes" with its sorrowful piano sound. Vocalist Hardy Fieting has a rich texture to his singing, which is complemented by some enchanting monk-ish groans. My problem with this song - and indeed much of the rest of the album - is it that it's all a little too polished. The three bonus live songs show a different side to the band, one with a more organic edge.

Depeche Mode-esque clanks introduce the incendiary "Kerosene", though there's also a feeling of Paradise Lost. This song features some great echo-laden keyboard sounds. Meanwhile "Nothingness" has a slower pace and starts with the sound of Scoundrel Days-era A-ha. Which is a good thing. Elsewhere there's some gentle chiming guitar that wraps "My Tenebrous Illusion" in loveliness. "Unspoken" is an emotionally wrought epic, which is a highlight.

While there is little wrong with this album, there's little that makes it essential listening. The press release that accompanies it suggests that this album is rawer than Scream Silence's other offerings. One wonders how polished those productions must have been if this is the sound of the band being their most natural.