Domestically available for the first time on CD is the sophomore release by Sweden's Silver Mountain. Originally released in 1984, UNIVERSE revealed a revamped and tightened incarnation of the band. Incorporating classical passages for the first time, Silver Mountain is much more musically focused here as they shed the early Deep Purple influence and add touches of gothic rock to their sound. The result is that UNIVERSE established this band as a driving force in the Scandinavian metal community. Although the Johansson brothers had already left to join Yngwie Malmsteen's band prior to the recording of this milestone, Silver Mountain's second release is actually more dynamic than the band's debut.
a class metal effort I owned this album on LP vinyl back around 1985 and I thought then that "Universe" was one of THE classiest metal albums of all time. IT STILL IS. Silver Mountain were well-schooled in the Ritchie Blackmore halls of brooding Gothic metal though I will say that the impressive guitar stylings of Jonas Hansson are far more varied than his aforementioned mentor. Oh how I wish that Yngwie Malmsteen could cut an album this cohesive yet so wildly diverse. Why Jonas Hanson has not risen to prominence worldwide is beyond me as he has clearly eclipsed the Blackmores, Malmsteens and all of their relentless copycats to deliver inspired metal of truly Gothic proportions. Though the level of class this album establishes is almost unmatched, then & now, Silver Mountain were never afraid to crank up the vols and impale the power chords with an almost Viking-like intensity. This Japanese version is a bit spendy for the uninitiated but it is worth every penny. No extra cuts unfortunately but the sound quality is superb and a lyric sheet is included. Give this a spin and you'll hear what gave rise to bands like Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Reign of Terror and yes, even Yngwie Malamsteen. It's just that Silver Mountain does it better...much better. Submitted by a reviewer (MARYSVILLE, WA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo This review is for a different format.
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