Review Summary: Remember when Thirty Seconds To Mars sounded like this?
Black Satellite's combination of throaty vocals soaring over thick guitar riffs slashing through a haze of ambient synths underpinned by massive yet groovy and danceable beats is reminiscent of everything from Muse to 30STM to Starset and even occasionally hearkening back to Type O Negative and
Ocean Machine-era Devin Townsend. But Black Satellite's debut offering,
Endless, shouldn't be dismissed simply because the band isn't reinventing the wheel. This is solidly constructed, heavy alternative rock that delivers on its promise of a good time and doesn't outstay its welcome.
Vocalist Larissa Vale is a standout here, with a powerful and rich voice that's perfect for modern metal/rock and able to deliver pretty melodies as well as throaty screams whenever necessary. She doesn't display a great deal of vocal range on the record, but she does keep her vocal lines interesting with the ability to shade her vocal delivery with varying degrees of raspiness and power, thereby ensuring that her voice never gets boring or repetitive.
Vale is ably complemented by Hawken who builds layered songs beneath Vale comprised of reverbed clean guitars, chunky processed and distorted power chords, and ambient synth and electronica effects. While his approach isn't particularly original, it's not without a certain kind of appeal. As mentioned earlier, he creates soundscapes reminiscent of everyone from Devin Townsend ("Not a Word") to Muse ("Endless") but also demonstrates an ability to meld these disparate influences into a coherent sound of his own. Vale and Hawken have managed to create, in
Endless, an album consistent enough to not have any obvious weaknesses, but when the band really hits its stride it delivers heavy hooks like a goth and industrial-influenced reincarnation of Roxette, with peroxided hair intact.
Highlights:
Valkyrie
Not A Word
Endless
