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Review Summary: A Very Boring Step Backwards. For the people who don’t know, A Skylit Drive is a post-hardcore band from California. Their singer has one of the highest male voices in the scene today, and while some think it adds to their originality, their latest offering “Identity on Fire” proves that it doesn’t. A little background information for you, I heard of this band in late 2008 with the release of their sophomore release Wires.. And the Concept of Breathing. At the time, it was something new and a fresh sound to the already stale and generic post-hardcore scene. The vocals were insanely high and the music was pretty cool. As a 15 year old, I was hooked. In 2009 they released Adelphia, which was a much better record than Wires and seeing them for the first time that summer on Warped tour (and meeting them!) I was stoked for their future as one of the only post-hardcore bands I actually could stand.
Fast forward to 2011 and they released Identity on Fire. What a step backwards in the wrong direction that was. They released 3 singles before the cd’s release and unfortunately, 2 of the 3 are the only highlights of the album. Although I won’t do a track by track review, here are a couple sentences which sum up all the songs (which is sad if you think about it). The first thing I noticed was that they took more of an Alternative/Mainstream Rock approach with less of the normal post-hardcore elements such has the overused back and forth screaming and singing every other line etc. It seems as though the band wanted to focus more on Jags vocals than ever before by pushing them to the front of the mix in front of the instruments more so than normal. It is extremely noticeable in almost all of the verses in virtually every song. Jag’s choices of melodies are somewhat odd as well as during many of the choruses they just don’t seem to fit, or just sound different to the ear. They amped up some of the heavy parts and Brian’s screams are heavier and deeper than before which is a nice touch to some of the songs, but they don’t leave him screaming long before Jag and his melodies come back in. I think of the heavy parts were played out a little longer it would be a little more enjoyable for myself. As for certain songs that stand out, there isn’t much. There are certain parts of songs that are pretty cool, but nothing to keep going back to, as this album doesn’t seem to have much playback ability. It’s just plain boring.
Standout Tracks: XO Skeleton, Ex Marks the Spot.
PS. this is my first review, i would love some construtive criticism
| other reviews of this album |
UORawker (2)
A refusal to add any sort of growth to their music has resulted in the creation of an album that is ...
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They got a professional producer to mix the album, which usually means that either they would have done better or worse. I thought it was pretty intermediate and that they stuck to their same formula, while sprinkling on a few key elements here and there.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Review isn't well written. Intro is sloppy and there's no real outro. Plus grammatical errors here and there. You describe a change in style, but you spend more time explaining the change than explaining what's bad about the album. I guess that's the real problem with this review; rather than stating particular good or bad points about the album, you make ... well, points that don't go either way.
I'm not sure how to explain it. It's like a review of a restaurant that states: "They no longer go for the pirate theme. Now they opt for a casual theme." See what I mean? You're stating a fact, but not explaining what's good or bad about it. There's no "The pirate theme was what really put the restaurant at the forefront of the industry" or "the new casual theme isn't pulled off very well"
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I don't mean to be genre-troll, but A Skylit Drive is not post-hardcore. I state this because you make a lot of accusations against post-hardcore, when I'm sure you mean Screamo or Metalcore.
Also agree with tk.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
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fucking what now?
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
I don't mean to be a genre troll, but A Skylit Drive is not Screamo or Metalcore. I state this because you make a lot of implications towards Screamo and Metalcore, when I'm sure you mean post-hardcore.
Also agree with coma
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Everyone forgets that there are two screamers; Cory (the Drummer) who does the highs on this record and Brian who does the lower screams. I don't really agree with your review, it's fairly well written though.
Just need to go a bit deeper into the record as a whole.
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KTLL wtf you crack baby of an alley dweller, you need to learn what actually genres are before you can be a genre Nazi lol.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Dropdead, you've got it backwards. Well, sort of. They're both capable of highs and lows, but Cory usually does the low growls.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
unfortunately I am disliking both reviews. this one is written in the style of a schoolchild and the other one reads like my grandfather himself would have done a soundoff. something in between would be interesting.
not negging though.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Sorry, the review is really bad and you have an opinion of a 15 year old child. The band got a more professional producer and a much more better sound. This band was in the height of generic music, but in this album they show their worth as a band. Lyrics are better written and their sound is well defined. You've got heart though, and you have a voice that's for sure, but I'd listen to what these other comments would have to say.
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i totally disagree.i have heard all their albums,and i think this is there best one by far.
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This band has by far the gayest vocalist I've ever heard in my life.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Sorry, the review is really bad and you have an opinion of a 15 year old child. The band got a more professional producer and a much more better sound. This band was in the height of generic music, but in this album they show their worth as a band. Lyrics are better written and their sound is well defined. You've got heart though, and you have a voice that's for sure, but I'd listen to what these other comments would have to say.
so backwards
oh and you have the opinion of an idiot
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Wrong about the screams, Cory does the growls, Brian does the highs. And they are post-hardcore, too much cleans and not enough break downs and chugging for metalcore and screamo is not even there.
Buuuut, this wasn't the best album.. Wires... definitely was the best, then this, then Aldephia. It was an okay album
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no she watched the sky is their best
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
yeah pharoh is right, and this album blows
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
She Watched The Sky wasn't better than Wires, grow up
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
eh i enjoyed it more than i did wires.
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i never liked anything they've done.
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
I enjoyed Cali Buds, that's it.
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