Review Summary: While they do overdo the electronics, and the autotuned clean vocals can be annoying, AAMS has a great start with this short EP.
Let's be honest: when you think post-hardcore/electronicore, you probably laugh. Maybe you make a comment on how the only thing worse is nu-metal, and how only teeny-bopper metal fans enjoy this genre of music. You then slam an album, perhaps Underoath's "We're Only Chasing Safety" record, or maybe something new by the Browning, like "Burn This World," and then move on and listen to Ovid's Withering or Northlane or something blistering heavy, and forget how disgraced you have been.
I've had this experience once or twice. I tried out the Browning, wasn't really into into it, and totally abandoned the hybrid genre of post-hardcore/electronicore. I'll admit, I'm an advid fan of post-hardcore, in fact my favorite band is Before Their Eyes. The electronic part is what I'm not so into. I mean, take a look at some of the bands that belong to the genre, like Breathe Carolina and The Browning (I keep using them because they are a good example.) These bands kind've suck a little. But, one day when I downloaded a free music sampler with twenty-five tracks, and heard TO BE HONEST I HAVEN'T BEEN ON APOLLO 13, I had to check out more by the band, which was Aliens Ate My Setlist. The name caught my attention, and also the blend of almost-metalcore with slight electronics and clean vocals had me interested. A few months went by, and I finally caved and bought the entire Illusions EP.
My hopes weren't terribly high at this point, because I had been tricked by the "one song rocks, the rest suck" deal before. However, after giving the EP a fair listen, I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a good divide between the post-hardcore/metalcore tracks, and the more electronic leaning tracks. Songs like TO BE HONEST and LIKE WITHOUT L IS I IN BERLIN showcase more of the post-hardcore side, with higher-pitched screams blending with chugging guitars and some small electronic influences, while THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OK AND KO and SODIUM CHLORIDE have more electronic sounds, especially the bridge in DIFFERENCE and the chorus in SODIUM CHLORIDE. The final track AND AGAIN I'VE BEEN SWALLOWED BY A WHALE, is the track that mixes the two genres best, with metalcore-styled growls blending with spazy electronics.
The positives of the album include the vocalist. He switches seamlessly from screams and growls to wonderfully executed clean vocals, and never sounds awkward doing it. In addition, while he mainly relies on screamed vocals, the occasional grows he throws in sound both guttural and rough. Now, the rest of the band. Both guitarists work great together, and though there aren't any actual solos throughout, the lead riff in the chorus of DIFFERENCE and the mix with the crunchy guitar in APOLLO sound really good, and the performance of both guitarists throughout the rest of the album is good. The drummer is good, nothing special, but propels the music well enough. The electronics, to a degree, add a cool element to the music and sound mostly like they belong. Positives also include lyrics, for the most part. The band is a Christian band, but not to the degree of offending non-believers. Themes include reaching out to God, searching for individuality, and lost love.
Now, the negatives. For one, the clean vocals are autotuned, so this can be a little grating after repeated listens. Also, song structure is a little predictable, in that every song has a breakdown, and vocally, it's screamed verses, sung choruses/bridges. Similar to other bands in the genre, the bassist is drowned out, so it's impossible to judge his performance. As previously stated, while both of the guitarists are talented, there isn't a whole lot of deviation from the normal "chug-chug" post-hardcore/metalcore. The electronics can feel overused as well, like in the bridge in DIFFERENCE and parts of SODIUM CHLORIDE.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants something a little different, and also anyone who enjoys good clean vocals. It's not brilliant, and while it doesn't totally pull the genre out of the hellhole it threw itself in, it does at least reach the halfway mark.
