Review Summary: Permanence is a solid debut effort from Storm The Sky, but lacks distinctiveness.
Permanence is widely defined as ‘the state or quality of lasting or remaining unchanged indefinitely’, but is now also the title for the highly anticipated debut album from post-hardcore rockers Storm The Sky. The Melbourne based sextet has only just recently released their first major album through the independent label UNFD and will no doubt one day be a staple act for them. Storm The Sky has made plenty of inroads over the last few years in the post-hardcore scene with a couple of highly sought after EP’s and exhilarating live performances. For the recording of Permanence the band travelled to Arizona to work with producer Cameron Mizell, who has helped push the band’s sound to a whole new level.
With a debut album it’s always important to provide a memorable first impression. By working with an experienced produced like Mizell (who has produced albums for bands such as Memphis May Fire), Storm The Sky has taken a bold first step to creating their own path in the music industry. The album kicks off with the track ‘Alive’ which begins with some rather serene nuances, accompanied by some faint drumming that fades beneath the guitars and sound effects. Upon first listen the ‘dial tone’ effect might seem rather irritating but after a few more spins, it become apparent it’s an integral aspect of what makes the song catchy. Apart from this the track displays a terrific scope of sound and outstanding musicianship. However, the second track ‘Same Graves’ is where the party really begins to get started. A huge opening growl by vocalist Daniel Breen, bendy guitar and relentless drumming pushes the song into another realm sonically. ‘Same Graves’ is the perfect example of when their sound excels; with hooky choruses and the interchanges between the dual vocalists pays dividends, whereas on other songs it doesn’t necessarily work as well.
From here on the album features a number of guest vocalists and a rather stellar second half of the album, with tracks like ‘If I Go’, ‘Oh Sister’ and the closer ‘Red Letter’ proving to be some of albums best moments. ‘If I Go’ slows down the tempo for a few minutes, with some haunting lingering guitar work that really lets clean vocalist William Jarratt voice shine. ‘Red Letter’ also sees the album closed off on a high note, something many artists fail to achieve. As for the physical layout of the album, it’s rather beautiful. Whether is the serene yet, somewhat mysterious album cover or the lovingly crafted still photography in the album booklet that looks as if it was taken from The Smith Journal, this album is something you would love to own. However, in saying all this I still think something indescribable missing from Storm The Sky’s sound to truly push them beyond the rest of the pack. Whether it’s working on writing more infectious choruses or thinking outside the box in terms of experimentation, I’m sure it is something the band will evolve over time.
Permanence is in no way a terrible album, it’s actually quite a solid debut effort, it just lacks some distinctiveness. Bands like The Amity Affliction and In Hearts Wake have their own identity or common theme in their music if you like, but as good as Permanence is I can’t seem to connect with it enough, or as much as their previous efforts. Storm The Sky has definitely upped the ante when it comes to production and it shows, if anything it’s over produced. The fact is four out of ten songs on Permanence feature guest vocalists, which are often hard to identify during the songs, rather than giving it the extra edge. Still, Permanence is a solid effort from Storm The Sky, chock full of angst fuelled vocals, heavy driving guitar riffs and blistering drumming which will definitely please fans of the genre.
