Rock Music News: Broken Silence Review (2024)

Ivy Gold is an international female-fronted blues rock act. Comprised of vocalist Manou (Austria), guitarist Sebastian Eder (Germany), keyboardist Anders Olinder (U.K.), drummer Tal Bergman (U.S.), and bass player Kevin Moore (U.S.), the band released their debut album Six Dusty Winds in 2021, following it up with Live At The Jovel just a year later. Now the prolific quintet adds Broken Silence to their catalog.  

Recorded in just a few days, Broken Silence boasts a polished, clean production but manages to retain a raw edge, a fitting approach for the type of sound the band churns out. Infusing their blues rock style with elements of soul, funk and even metal, the band delivers an 11-track set that sounds both eclectic and cohesive. 

Not being previously familiar with the band, the opening title track impressed me the most. Building from quieter, acoustic guitar-heavy verses, the song grows in tension before exploding in the anthemic chorus parts, in which Manou’s vocals soar like a raging thunder. More in line with a heavy metal power ballad structure with bluesy overtones than anything purely blues rock-focused, the song is an early showcase of the Austrian vocalist’s set of pipes, which are, mind you, quite far from modest.  

Next, we have “No Ordinary Woman”, a mid-paced funky beast which boasts an immense horn section, tasteful Hammond parts and another epic chorus, with Manou’s metallic timbre and Eder’s biting leads adding even more potency to the proceedings.  

The groove-heavy “Got What I Need” and the Hendrix-inspired “House Of Cards” are other mid-speed highlights (the album never quite ups the tempo) with loads of strong vocal and guitar parts.  

“Six Times Gone” features once again a thrilling chorus and gripping riffage before we get treated to the slow-tempo bluesy number “Sacred Heart” (for metal listeners, the title may cause evocations of one Ronnie James Dio and his medieval-themed theatrics). It’s a bluesy slow-burning piece with somewhat neoclassical-inspired textures, adding to the album’s gravitas and solemnity.  

There’s also the bonus track “Old Love”, a live version of Eric Clapton’s late-career classic. While it’s almost impossible to top one of Claptons’s finest moments, the band delivers a self-assured, vehement performance, which sounds both reverent and fresh. Then, the mere 12-second snippet “Silence” concludes the record.  

While one can argue that it peaks a little too early on the first two numbers, Broken Silence is a strong album overall, packed with impressive instrumental work and the inspired antics of a powerhouse vocalist, further establishing the cosmopolitan Ivy Gold as a promising act in the world of blues rock. A recommended listen.  

The Review: 8/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Broken Silence– No Ordinary Woman – Six Times Gone– Sacred Heart– Old Love