The band’s music, which the protagonists themselves call “Melodic/Prog/Rock/Pomp/Pop”, has become much more mature and concise with each album. With “Silence”, A.C.T. has now achieved a level in their songwriting that guarantees absolute listening pleasure. “We’re very proud of the sounds and of the development that the songs underwent before and during these recordings”, explains Ola Andersson, the band’s guitarist and vocalist. Bassist, guitarist Peter Asp also adds, “Each release is a new challenge for us, we never want to imitate ourselves”. The production is also noteworthy this time around and was handled by the band’s friend Martin Hedin, who also happens to play keyboards for Andromeda, a project involving A.C.T drummer Thomas Lejon.

All five musicians are inspired by a multitude of different bands, including among others Muse, Rush, Saga and ELO. There are elements of all of those bands in A.C.T, but there is also much more to their sound that makes “Silence” so convincing. The band’s sound incorporates melodic, upbeat progressive rock with a strong focus on sophisticated songwriting that was once employed by It Bites in the 80’s. At times, the new album features powerful and complex rhythms slightly akin to UK and piano and vocal lines, which are reminiscent of Supertramp. The new album features arrangements that Crowded House would be proud of and all with a sense of drama that recalls bands such as Queen or Saga. Jerry Sahlin adds that the band always tries to add something special to their songs during live shows to surprise their audiences.

The studio versions of the band’s material already contain their fair share of surprises. “Out Of Ideas” for instance, is contrary to the song’s title and utilises complex swing beats that recall Scritti Politti and superb vocal harmonies. “Hope” uses a lavish vocal melody that repeats over a progressive staccato riff, with elements of metal and classic rock.

The band’s skills are not just limited to impressive solo spots but can be best appreciated in their ensemble playing. There are some stand out examples on the new album such as the guitar and keyboard interplay in the middle section of “Hope”, or the bass and keyboards working together in ”No Longer Touching Ground”. The first half of the album is a collection of individual songs, while the other half tells the tragic story of Joanna, a young woman desperately wanting a child, who ends up experiencing a tragic turn of events. It is in this second half of “Silence” where the band really shines and captivates the listener with its finer tones and complex song structures. Each listen reveals something new in the music without ever taking the magic away from it. How the band achieves this will probably remain A.C.T’s biggest mystery.