Review Summary: For fans of Take To the Skies who want a little bit more
The Zone is a supplementary album to Enter Shikari's first full-length,
Take To the Skies (TTTS). It as a compilation of demos, B-sides, remixes and live performances from before and around the TTTS album cycle. The tracklist differs slightly depending on which version of the physical copy or streaming service one is using to listen; so to clarify, I'll be reviewing the version that is currently on Spotify. The only major differences between this version and the others are the inclusion of
Labyrinth as the final track, and the omission of two live BBC performances that were added to some physical copies of the album by mistake.
The first three tracks of
The Zone are B-sides from TTTS, the first of which,
The Feast, is a demo track that Enter Shikari never gave a polished re-recording. This track starts the album off at a fast pace, with what sounds like a sped-up circus lick on the synthesizer repeating over what is instrumentally one of the heaviest songs Enter Shikari have written. The second track,
Kickin' Back on the Surface of Your Cheek, was used as the concluding track of TTTS on the iTunes version, which is how I first became familiar with it. It seems strange to me that Enter Shikari didn't make
Kickin' Back the closer of that album (or that it wasn't an official track on the album to begin with), because the song ends with a monumental breakdown with gang vocals that shout: "Take to the skies / It's time to live!", which is apparently where the title of the album derived from. Nonetheless, I always champion
Kickin' Back as one of, if not my favorite ES song, thanks to the soaring chord progressions during the verses, and Rou's infectious hooks throughout. The aforementioned gang shout breakdown transitions into
Keep It on Ice, which is a mellow electronic tune which features some surprisingly heartfelt vocals from Rou that rival those from
Adieu on TTTS.
Speaking of
Adieu, the track that comes next is an EDM version created by Rou. It's such an awkward choice for an EDM remix due to how sad the original version of the song is, but my hat is off to Rou because he handled the task seamlessly. The two tracks that follow are a passable live version of
Sorry You're Not a Winner, and a "2006 download version" of
Mothership that has all the grace of a horribly compressed Limewire rip. Thankfully, this lull in the album is salvaged by
Acid Nation, which contends with
Kickin' Back for being my favorite ES song. Featuring some rare uplifting lyrics from Rou, the song's main riff is a bouncy eighth-note breakdown that cuts between a chorus of signature gang vocals, yells from Rou, and lively synth leads. The album concludes with a demo version of
Enter Shikari, which I prefer to the TTTS-version due to the sheer crunchiness of the riffs; and
Labyrinth, which as far I can hear is exactly the same as it is on TTTS.
If you're like me and TTTS is the only Enter Shikari album you can get into,
The Zone is a small blessing, since it offers just a little more of their original sound. I have to make note that
The Zone is often brushed off by Enter Shikari fans at first glance, since demos and live recordings oftentimes don't trigger a whole lot of interest. However, at the very least, anyone who enjoys TTTS should give the B-sides a chance (that is,
The Feast,
Kickin' Back,
Keep It On Ice, and
Acid Nation), since they are all quality songs that would not have been out of place on TTTS. A diverse, endearing, and somewhat odd compilation,
The Zone remains the hidden gem in Enter Shikari's discography.
