BY METAL RULES (Rate: 5 out of 5) Pergana is an up-and-coming female-fronted symphonic metal band with a style in the vein of Lunatica and, to a lesser extent, Nightwish. Their sound is superior to the latest effort from the former and different from the earlier efforts of the latter, but it falls comfortably somewhere in between. With the assistance of the Holzwarth brothers, Alex (Rhapsody of Fire) and Oliver (Blind Guardian), Pergana’s sound is top-notch. I have frankly grown bored with most of the bands who are performing this style of music nowadays, but Pergana pull it off and make it sound fresh and new again while sticking to the roots of what made the genre so popular to begin with. The EP contains only four songs, but each one is interesting and different. It begins with two mid-tempo tracks, “Let the Silence Sing,” and “Frozen Heart,” the latter of which the band released as a single. Both do a good job at introducing the band’s sound and show off a little of what everyone is capable of. The third track, “Romance Secrête”, is a slow ballad that is quite serene. Laure really shows off her capability as a singer with this track. Finally, the EP ends with a scorchingly fast song entitled “The Eye of the Beast.” Not only is this song speedy, it borrows a very unique-sounding male vocalist to add some contrast to their sound. Every single band member turns out a brilliant performance on this piece, and it serves as the perfect ending for this set of songs. The Mirror of Silence is definitely going to be a permanent addition to my music library and I cannot wait for the band’s first full-length album. If it’s even remotely as good as this EP then the world will be in for a treat.