Review Summary: Shedding skin into something better.
Paleskin’s first full-length,
Joy Is Temporary, Pain is Constant, which fused the band’s affinity for moody hip-hop and trap elements with heavy music, felt like a non-committal experiment more than the sure-footed and confident display on follow-up release,
Honey Poison. Immediately more guitar-driven and aggressive than
Joy is Temporary, Pain is Constant, Paleskin all but abandon background beats for subtle soundscapes instead. If dissected into core components, the six songs on
Honey Poison are a combination of Loathe’s introspective soul-searching, Holding Absence’s dramatic, soaring melodies, and the dynamic daydreaming of Deftones.
Bypassing the competent, yet understated alternative metal prowl of opener, “See Me Again”, the promise of Paleskin’s sonic progression reveals itself with follow up track, “Everything”. Beginning with the hushed, velvety-smooth singing of frontman Casper Frisk, the band transition from delicate, methodical verses into a skyscraping chorus adorned with dramatic crooning, impassioned screaming, and faint vocal layering. After the chorus concludes for a second time, the band unexpectedly drops out into near silence. Whispers are heard, but words are unable to be deciphered. Just as one would be tempted to bump the volume up, Casper returns with a simply anguished scream that carries over a closing section of blast beats. Just as the listener thought Paleskin were the next coming of Deftones, they morph into Deafheaven for a minute instead.
Paleskin do not waste any time continuing to shift stylistically, as “In Two” instantly pivots to showcase a more radio-friendly accessibility, channeling the post-hardcore theatrics and grand sing-along choruses of Holding Absence. The brooding “Evermore” floats along a satisfying drum and bass beat that would not sound out of place on an Etherwood album during the verses and closer “Honey Poison” wastes little time swallowing listeners into a swirling vortex of otherworldly beauty before fading out almost maddeningly quickly.
On their third EP and fourth release overall,
Honey Poison, Paleskin are clearly still tinkering with their sound. Whether they decide to dive deeper into the daze of Deftones, the heartstring tugging of Holding Absence, or a blend of both – with the occasional sprinkling of blackgaze - a la Loathe in the future, the experimentation and implementation of Paleskin’s obvious inspirations over these six songs has resulted in the trio releasing their most promising material yet.
