Band: silence|me
From: Newcastle, UK
Formation story:
(Ismael, bass): “The formation story is a funny one, actually. Matthew (drums) and Dylan (guitar) left a previous metalcore band to pursue the more chaotic, Boundaries-esque sound we make now, and decided to bring in Sophie, who Dylan knew from a secondary school band.
“I had only met Dylan once before, when he filled in on guitar for a band where I was playing drums. We got on well, so he just took a chance and asked if I played bass—and it happened that I’d dabbled in it every now and then.
“When the band started, I had only played drums in hardcore bands and was mostly playing stuff like Nirvana on bass, so it was definitely a learning curve. Actually, the day we recorded our first single, ‘torment,' was the day I met the band for the first time. This all started around March or April of 2025.”
Their sound in their own words:
“Describing our sound is tricky because we already have a completely different perception of it than what we’ve released so far. By the time our EP came out, we had already mentally moved on from that sound.
“This new direction is far more influenced by bands like Botch and Chamber—probably the most identifiable references—and really anything Randy LeBoeuf has worked on. That said, we still want to keep classic metalcore riffs in the mix alongside the chaotic, mathy elements.”
Latest release info:
“absence of love is an EP written out of frustration—out of not feeling heard, feeling out of sync with yourself and the world. The song ‘an absent echo’ is based on the idea of feeling so overlooked that even your echo doesn’t respond.
“Lyrically, ‘restless mind’ is probably the most direct representation of the EP’s themes, so I’d recommend starting there. Converge is my favorite band, so I pushed for us to take the Jane Doe approach and not release official lyrics—not that ours are anywhere near as indecipherable.
“I’ll also leave a little thread that absence of love isn’t actually the full title of the EP. We also have alternate artwork painted by my girlfriend Sarah that we’ve used for people who were pivotal to the release—like Ben from High Gauge Audio, who mixed the EP, Stuart from Byker Grave, and Connor from Conviction Records. Huge thanks to all three of them.”
Future plans:
“At the forefront is establishing our new sound. We’ve been working on two songs that really show it at its most ignorant and abrasive. It’s obviously risky to change your sound right after building a following on something else, but we feel confident in it. This band was always about making the music we want to hear, so it makes sense to keep pushing in that direction.
“Soph specifically wants to experiment more with vocals and deliver even more emotional performances. As a band, we want to play more shows in new cities. London is a huge goal for us—especially for me. Since I first got into hardcore at around 15, playing New Cross Inn has been a dream.”
What other bands from their region should we check out?
“Alright, here’s the fun part—we’re naming bands from all over the UK that we love and respect.
“Prozpekt is some of the most energetic and passionate hardcore we’ve seen. Dissent is one of our favorite pissed-off, moshable bands local to us. We also find ourselves listening to CrossMyHeart—we played with them once at a show where the PA got hit so hard it fell during their set.
“Divine Hatred are another favorite, with some of the most talented musicians in the scene. Hour of Reprisal and Bind are two impressive Norwich bands we’d love to play with again.
“Negative Frame is not only a foundational band for me but also a group of amazing people, as is xapothecaryx, who I can’t praise enough.
“Broken Oath are absolute legends who truly support new hardcore. Toil is one of the most enjoyable bands we’ve played with—great Essex hardcore. Dysthymia is a newer, heavy, brutal band from Leeds, and finally Seconds Out—young blood from the North East who are super passionate and promising for the local scene.
“Dear Diary and Claymore are our other projects, for fans of MySpace deathcore and Arkangel-style edge metal, respectively.”
silence|me on social media: Instagram
Tagged: silence | me
