Silent Planet are a Los Angeles-based metalcore band whose music embraces dynamics swinging from quiet, atmospheric contemplation to a full-on sonic assault, and whose lyrics offer a thoughtful view of the challenges of life in a destructive, chaotic world. Taking their name from a novel by C.S. Lewis, Silent Planet was formed in 2009 by Garrett Russell, who says he was inspired to use music to express his spiritual ideals while volunteering at a Haitian orphanage as part of a Christian youth mission. Lead vocalist Russell teamed up with Thomas Freckleton on guitar, keyboards, and vocals, guitarist Spencer Keene, bassist Igor Efimov, and drummer Alex Camarena, and Silent Planet began playing West Coast venues. (Keene does not always tour with the group; guitarist Mitchell Stark takes his place on the road.) In 2012, Silent Planet released their debut EP, Come Wind, Come Weather, which was produced by Matt Goldman. In 2014, the band released a second EP, Lastsleep (1944-1946), which earned rave reviews and attracted the attention of respected metal/punk label Solid State Records; they promptly signed the band, and Silent Planet's first full-length album, The Night God Slept, was released in November 2014. Efimov departed in 2015, leaving Freckleton to add bass to his myriad duties within the group. The band issued their sophomore studio effort Everything Was Sound in 2016, which would serve as the last Silent Planet outing for guitar player Spencer Keene, who left the group shortly after the album's release. The band enlisted stalwart metalcore producer Will Putney for album number three. The resulting When the End Began, which captured the group's punishing live sound while trafficking in ambient and experimental elements, arrived in 2018. ~ Mark Deming