Silent Planet | |
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 Silent Planet performing live at the iMatter Festival in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Azusa, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | silentplanetmerch |
Silent Planet is an Americanmetalcore band formed inAzusa, California, in 2009.[1] Their name is derived fromC. S. Lewis'science fiction novelOut of the Silent Planet. The group consists of vocalist Garrett Russell, guitarist/clean vocalist Mitchell Stark, drummer Alex Camarena and bassist Nick Pocock. They are currently signed toSolid State Records and have released five studio albums. Their latest studio album,Superbloom, was released on November 3, 2023.[2]
Before finalizing the line-up forCome Wind, Come Weather, Silent Planet held practices in the Azusa Pacific University music building. They shared practice sessions with fellow hardcore band Hepafilter,[3][non-primary source needed] in which Russell was also the lead vocalist. Russell recorded an EP titledCoward with Hepafilter and toured with them until the group disbanded in late 2011.[4][citation needed]
In 2012, the band recorded their first EPCome Wind, Come Weather inAtlanta,Georgia with producerMatt Goldman, which they released on May 15, 2012.[citation needed] Afterwards, the group toured with bands such asBecoming the Archetype, I, of Helix andDayseeker while also played at California Metalfest 2012.[citation needed]
On February 14, 2013, Silent Planet released the song "Tiny Hands (Au Revoir)", which tells the story of Marguerite Rouffanche, survivor of theOradour-sur-Glane massacre, an event that happened on June 10, 1944 during theSecond World War.[5] They continued touring and played on theScream the Prayer Tour with bands likeWolves at the Gate andFit for a King.[6] On July 23, the band unveiled "Darkstrand (Hibakusha)", which, like "Tiny Hands (Au Revoir)", also tells the story of a World War II victim; this time the story is set in Japan just after theimpact of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.[7]
On January 2, 2014, their five-track EPlastsleep (1944–1946), which is based on the stories of World War II victims, was released.[8] It contains the two songs released in 2013 along with "Wasteland (Vechnost)", and two instrumentals. Later that year, they went on tour with bands such asSleeping Giant,This or the Apocalypse,Phinehas,Those Who Fear, Lionfight andThe Ongoing Concept.[9][10]
On May 17, 2014, Silent Planet unveiled that they completed their debut studio album. On July 13, band members also stated that the album is set to be released in fall 2014 through "an artist-friendly record label who is allowing [them] to retain full creative control."[11][non-primary source needed][12][non-primary source needed] On September 14, the band revealed the release date of their record to be November 10, 2014. On September 19, they dropped a hint pointing towards the name of the album on their Facebook page.
On September 23, it was announced that their debut studio album,The Night God Slept, would be released throughSolid State Records.[13] The group then released some new songs from the record to their Facebook page, starting with "XX (City Grave)" on September 30, followed by "Native Blood" on October 23, "Firstwake" on November 2 and "Depths II" on November 5.[citation needed] On September 30, 2015, Efimov announced his departure from the band.[14][non-primary source needed]
On April 27, 2016, Silent Planet announced onVans Warped Tour their second studio album,Everything Was Sound, which was released on July 1, 2016.[15] The band released three singles from the record with two of them are accompanying with music videos. "Panic Room" was available on May 12.[16] "Psychescape", featuringSpencer Chamberlain ofUnderoath, was streaming on June 2.[17] The third and final single, "Orphan", was unveiled on June 17.[18]
On October 26, it was revealed that drummer Alex Camarena has formed a side-project calledNothing Left along with brothers Brandon and Ryan Leitru, formerly from the bandFor Today. The project also comprises Danon Saylor, the former vocalist ofA Bullet for Pretty Boy and Devin Henderson ofTake It Back!. They are planning to release new music by the end of the year throughNuclear Blast.[19]
On June 15, 2018, Silent Planet released "Northern Fires (Guernica)", which revolves around theSpanish Civil War.[20][21] On July 17, they unveiled another single titled "Vanity of Sleep", which revolves around modern consumer despair.[22] On August 7, the band announced their third studio album,When the End Began, which was released on November 2, 2018.[23]
On August 17, the third single, "Share the Body", was available with a corresponding music video.[24] On September 14, the group was streaming the fourth single "In Absence".[25] On October 19, one month before the album release, the fifth and final single of the album ,"The New Eternity", came out.[26] On August 18, 2019, the band released an additional song, "Shark Week", a B-side from this album's sessions.[27]
On January 24, 2020, Silent Planet releasedThe Night God Slept Redux, a re-recorded edition of their debut album.[28][29] On February 14, the band released "Trilogy", a single that focuses and revolves around vocalist Garrett Russell's stay in a mental hospital in which he wrote the lyrics in one sitting.[30][31][32][non-primary source needed] On April 17, the band released the instrumental edition of the recent redux ofThe Night God Slept.[33] On April 24, they released the instrumental edition ofEverything Was Sound.[34] On May 1, they released the instrumental edition ofWhen the End Began.[35]
On March 23, 2021, band members officially announced the new fourth album is completed.[36] On April 9, after unveiling some artworks the prior couple days, they announced during the globalCOVID-19 pandemic a surprise collaboration withFit for a King. The collaboration included both bands' vocalists being featured on reworked version of their recent tracks and both bands will also release a limited merch line to promote the collaboration.[37][38]
On August 20, the group surprise released a brand new single "Panopticon".[39][40] On September 17, Silent Planet officially unveiled the third single "Terminal" along with its music video. At the same time, the band revealed that their upcoming fourth album would be entitledIridescent, with a release date of November 12, 2021, along with the cover and track list of the album.[41][42] To promote the album, they also announced that they will supportMotionless in White's rescheduled U.S. tour along withLight the Torch andDying Wish which has started in May 2021.[43][44] On October 22, one month before the album release, the group debuted the fourth single "Anhedonia".[45][46]
On July 22, 2022, Silent Planet's first single, ":Signal:", was debuted.[47][48] On June 9, 2023, Thomas Freckleton announced that he had left the band due to wanting to spend more time with his family and having a fusion in his spine which had only gotten more painful over the years. Later, it was announced that the band's touring musician, Nick Pocock, would be their new bassist.[49] On July 21, the band unveiled the second single "Antimatter" and its corresponding music video.[50][51][52]
On August 24, the band published the third single "Collider" and an accompanying music video. Simultaneously, they officially announced that their fifth studio album,Superbloom, was set for release on November 3, 2023, whilst also revealing the album cover and the track list. The date holds significance for the band as, on that same date in 2022, they were involved in a serious tour van crash that severely injured Garrett Russell, whose dazed state partly inspired the album's creation.[53][54]
On September 22, the band released the fourth single "Anunnaki" along with a music video.[55][56] The music video for "Offworlder" was released November 3, 2023, coinciding with the album release.[57]
On December 13th, 2024, the band released a new single, "Mindframe", complete with music video, whilst also announcing their independence from their longtime labels of Solid State and UNFD.[58]
On January 15, 2025 Invent Animate took to Instagram with a post that said "BLOOM." Meanwhile, Silent Planet had a post that read "IN HEAVEN." Then, on January 21, both bands tagged one another in a post that read, "1.23//IA//SP. On Thursday as the clock resets to 00:00, an angel and an alien will meet in a graveyard called Earth. Return To One." Finally, on January 23, 2025, it was announced that a new single, 'Return To One' would be released, and that they would be releasing a collaboration 3-song EP titled 'Bloom In Heaven' withInvent Animate, on March 28, 2025.
Musically, Silent Planet has been described asmetalcore,[59][60] and more specifically,progressive metalcore.[61][62] They are known for their intricate sound and incorporation ofpost-rock textures.[63] The band has also been noted for their thought-provoking lyrics, which cover topics such as war, psychology, religion, and politics.[64][65] Russell cites songs such as "No Place to Breathe" (in support ofBlack Lives Matter) and "Alive, as a Housefire" (confronting the ideological divide in the United States of America) as explicit statements of the band's political beliefs.[66]
Band members have listedOh, Sleeper,Architects,Underoath, andThis Will Destroy You as influences on their sound.[67]
Silent Planet have sometimes been labeled asChristian metal,[citation needed] due to their use ofbiblical references and some of the band members' faith, though they incorporate non-religious themes and references as well. In a 2019 interview withMetal Injection, Garrett Russell said:
"I'll tell you point blank for the record, we've never considered ourselves a Christian metal band and even the perception that we are a Christian metal band has definitely made our lives harder. We get passed up on tours because they don't want to be associated with us because of that label. I'm not ashamed of being called a Christian because I am a Christian and I'm open about that. However, our band doesn't feel like our songs only pertain to Christians both topically and lyrically. And I don't think you have a to be a Christian to understand our songs. If anything, we kinda get a backlash from Christians sometimes because we ask more questions than provide answers. A hallmark of typical Christian music is pretending to have answers. I don't pretend to have answers. I have ideas that I'm open to share about my life experiences and why I'm a Christian and what Jesus means to me because I love to do that, but I'm only interested in doing that ifyou're interested in doing that. I'm not really interested in making you interested in that. Not all the guys in my band are Christian either. We're super open about that. It is a good question and it comes up a lot. I've seen constantly that people don't want to hear our music because of the Christian label. I think it's a bummer that people are that closed off to music. Honestly, I love music too much. A band could be Satanist and I just want to hear the music. It's unfortunate that some people play that game."[68]
Current
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Timeline
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [71] | US Rock [72] | US Hard Rock [73] | US Christ. [74] | US Indie [75] | US Album Sales [76] | US Digital Albums [77] | US Vinyl Albums [78] | |||
| 2014 | The Night God Slept | Solid State | — | — | 16 | 24 | 43 | — | — | — |
| 2016 | Everything Was Sound | 85 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 20 | 19 | |
| 2018 | When the End Began | Solid State,UNFD | 97 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 13 | 9 |
| 2021 | Iridescent | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2023 | Superbloom | Solid State | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
EPs
Singles
| International | |
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| Artists | |
