Silverstein - 'Pink Moon' - Album Review

Lighthouse Music
4 days ago
3 min read

BACKGROUND. Double albums are normally a red flag for me, yellow at the very least, for they tend to feel forced, messy and artificially inflated. And then again, every now and then, seasoned professionals like Silverstein come along, drop two full studio albums that sound as fresh and purposeful as their early releases, and we have to wave the white flag. Admittedly, there was a certain degree of hesitation when Antibloom first premiered at the end of February, but now that we have the pair complete with Pink Moon, it is high time to revisit the release in its full scope and purpose.

BAND. This is the very same Silverstein that ignited the emo and post-hardcore world back 25 years ago, with all but one notable key lineup change along the way, releasing companion albums as their official eleventh LP in 2025 as if their inception was yesterday. Easily one of the most coherent, consistent and reliable music outfit across the entire alternative scene for quarter of a century now, they don't appear to be slowing down any time soon. Led by the tireless songwriting partnership of Shane Told and Paul Marc Rousseau, Silverstein deliver yet another timeless example of scene mastery and post-hardcore excellence in all its variations and nuances.

ALBUM. With 8 tracks each, Pink Moon is the perfect counterpart to Antibloom, feeling more like a B side than an actual opposite, and yet equally punching and deliberate. Although perfectly powerful as a standalone LP, the very idea of a conceptual two-part release left a feeling that there was something missing in the February release, and now everything is back in order. Dive deep into Pink Moon or revisit Antibloom first, but either way you are met with a faultless collection of modern post-hardcore anthems, easycore bangers, alt-metal singles and pop-punk hits that perfectly sum up Silverstein in all their grandeur.

SONGS. First things first, we get the massive generational anthem 'Negative Space', the usual classic that shines from every Silverstein album. Second, shoutout to the two brilliant features here - Dayseeker's very own charmer Rory Rodriguez on 'Drain The Blood' and the pop-punk/country starlet Cassadee Pope on 'Autopilot', two track laying comfortably at oposing moods and direction, but balancing the scales to perfection. From there, it is up to the two new ragers 'The Fatalist' and 'Widowmaker' to add the necessary edge and energy, and 'Death Hold' and 'Dying Game' to coutneract and bring the album to a fitting end.

FUTURE. With all that legacy behind Silverstein and considering their consistent work rate, surely there is an album #14 already on the pipeline in several years, and why not another one before the 2030s start? Honestly, if they keep them coming as relevant and concise, and above as all immensely enjoyable, as seen across their last three - Pink Moon, Autopilot and Misery Made Me, then may their reign continue as uninterupted as ever.