Skylines
Identity
7.5
Several months back, I reviewed a split CD between Stars Are Falling and Skylines. While I feared a total disaster based on the former’s mind-numbing emocore, the latter swooped in and saved the day with a fierce metalcore assault that, while nothing special, was great in its delivery and simplicity. Now their debut full-length is here and it doesn’t disappoint, although many will likely brush this off as being bland and derivative.
I admit, I’ve been reading other reviews of this album, and the opinion seems to be that these guys aren’t doing anything that Every Time I Die hasn’t done already, and that you shouldn’t even bother listening to a copycat when you can listen to the original. Why is then, that I can’t make it through an ETID album, but can rock out to this? I think the first answer is that Skylines knows how to rein it in, with tracks that rarely pass the 3-minute mark. There also seems to be a bit more of a punk influence here, which means these shorter tracks pack as much of a punch as ones twice their length.
Switching gears, I can’t help but get a Life of Agony vibe from “The Pugilists Lament”, with the main riff recalling that band’s 1997 minor hit “Weeds”. Skylines really hits their stride on the next track, “Title Belt Return Policy”, a dense, frenzied jam. Subsequent tracks like “G.H.O.S.T.” work along the same lines but are a bit more, shall we say, deliberate. The former style is more prevalent though, on standout tracks like “Forgiveness” and “Mouth Like Gravestones”. Whereas I’d be watching the clock waiting for an ETID album to end, when Identity stops, I find myself getting frustrated and angrily restarting it.
OK, so I probably haven't heard enough Every Time I Die to be making these sorts of claims, but they’ve never really grabbed me in a way to warrant additional listening. That I have gone back to Skylines with a degree of excitement after hearing only four tracks either means I’m ignorant of ETID or that Skylines is just that much more interesting. I won’t bet money that you’ll enjoy Identity, but if you’re into the genre in any way, I’d say it deserves a chance.
