Review: Cilver- Not The End of the World

There is a melodic hard rock band called Cilver out of New York City that is causing quite a commotion these days. With comparisons to heavy hitters like Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless and Paramore, it’s easy to understand why. The core of the band is singer Uliana Preotu and guitarist Leon Lyazidi, who released an EP and a Full Length under the name Me Talk Pretty, before changing their name to Cilver and releasing their debut EP In My Head in 2014. It’s been a long time coming, but after nearly a decade of working together the duo is set to release Cilver’s first full length for eOne Music entitled Not the End of the World for the world to hear. As we mentioned before, it’s impossible for tracks like “Break Free,” “Razorblade” and “In My Head,” all of which appeared on the band’s debut EP, not to draw comparisons to The Pretty Reckless and Paramore, but whereas Taylor Momsen can sometimes rely a little too much on her raw sexuality, it’s Preotu’s impressive powerhouse vocals that take center stage in Cilver. With a really sweet, bluesy bottom end it’s easy to see why they chose “I’m America” as the album’s lead single, while songs such as “Headstone,” “Afterlife” and “Behind These Eyes” come right out of the Halestorm playbook for radio domination. “Frozen” is an exquisite power ballad that transcends predictability by coming out of nowhere to basically steal the show and “It’s My Life” is a straight up, no nonsense rocker that turns the heat and volume right back up to 10 where it belongs. Saving the very best for last, “Bleed for You” and closer “Not Afraid” are where Preotu’s ethereal vocals really get to shine, demonstrating a vocal prowess rarely seen these days, emulating greats such as Ann Wilson, Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks and Beth Hart. Here’s the bottom line. If you enjoy any of the aforementioned artists, Not the End of the World is a no-brainer that like a Snickers bar… satisfies. Rating: 8 out of 10 -Eric Hunker