ALBUM REVIEW: Abandon The Skies plays it easycore with 'Wait For The Summer'
It’s 2012 and easycore still stands as one of the most dominant sub-genres of punk across the globe. Bands of kids option for or against synthesizers while formulating nasty breakdowns are still running amok the musical tides.
Many of these outfits are underground or local acts, receiving support from blogs such as xEasycorex.com.
One of these such bands is Abandon The Skies, hailing from England's greater Manchester area. The five-piece set out to craft the genre standby of poppy fun with brutal breakdown in their EP "Wait For The Summer." What is to be expected from this English band's music?
The band lists off standard fare for influences, the namedropping of bands like Me Vs Hero, A Day To Remember, and Four Year Strong are all to be expected. However the one band they state and truly sound like they are taking the most influence from is French easycore band Chunk! No Captain Chunk!
Following their influences, vocals are the biggest piece of their music. The screams are really low and the cleans have this certain serenity to it as opposed to some whiney pop-punk vocals. The cleans could easily be compared better to someone like Lower Than Atlantis’ Mike Duce rather than Chunk! No Captain Chunk!’s Betrand Poncet.
This actually works both to their advantage and disadvantage. In tracks like “Give Up The Ghost” the changes between screams and cleans are actually highly dynamic, especially when the chorus kicks.
However in “Light It Up” the switch between the two does not nearly sound as good (although the vocal note progressions may not be helping either). Also the screams are quite low, to the point where they actually suffer from getting lost in the music a bit. Since they are an unsigned band, one does have to bear in mind that their production is not going to be top notch.
The riffs and drumming are mosh-friendly with breakdowns scattered within. One of the better examples is “Hey Look, It’s Facebones!” with its catchy guitar riff and chorus also featuring good use of group vocals. The previously mentioned “Light it Up” falls as one of the lower moments of the album with its spotty vocal progressions that are more alienating than inviting.
Nothing in the EP really stands that far out from the norm however. Both “Give Up The Ghost” and “Hey Look, It’s Facebones!” are good songs, but they just don’t have that kick that turns them into “great” songs. Easycore is definitely a genre that is starting to stagnate and Abandon The Skies will have to find some way to level up their songs to be able to be seen from the pack.
Regardless of its production value and occasional missteps, this still rings as a good release for an unsigned band and the future looks bright for the boys from UK.
3 out of 5 stars
Genre: Easycore
