Klatzke
05/19/09, 04:15 PM
I See Stars - 3D
Release Date: April 14, 2009
Record Label: Sumerian Records
Fads come and fads go; in the process they leave behind a few bands that serve as the epiphany of the genre – whether good or bad. Surely everyone has noticed the latest of these trends. With bands like Handshakes and Highfives and Attack Attack emerging in hordes it would be almost impossible not to. These bands that fuse electronics with extremely pop oriented post-hardcore miss their mark much more often than they hit it, and really, to this point, I’ve had a fairly hard time finding one of them worth my time. However, it seems as if one of the earliest newcomers to this budding genre, I See Stars, have released an album that actually shows this fad has some kind of credibility.
I See Stars’ 3D has some truly brilliant moments. Unlike their peers, they manage to keep some form of actual technicality and musicianship on this album and don’t just dub everything over with an obnoxious synth beat. In the places where they do utilize a heavy electronic overlay, they tend to do so with more creative beats (see: the excellent intro to “Save the Cheerleader”). Their guitar work tends to be above par for this subgenre and, in many cases, post-hardcore in general. This is most noticeable in the aforementioned track where the presence of a synth is replaced with a charging technical riff. The band’s breakdowns tend to be more creative and fresh than I’m used to, and whether they switch it up with interesting vocal arrangements, such as the sonic screaming in “Big Bad Wolf,” or throw in a super catchy electronic beat they tend to be at least slightly unique.
In addition to those factors, another of I See Stars’ strengths lies in their ability to shift seamlessly between ultra-heavy and pleasantly catchy. Take “Big Bad Wolf” as an example; it shifts effortlessly between its vocoder-ridden chorus to the most vicious breakdown I think I’ve ever heard, all without any kind of jarring effect. This then shifts right back into the more pop oriented side of the band with the track “I Am Jacks Smirking Revenge,” showing their aptitude for keeping the album moving and mixing up the types of tracks. Songs aren’t hindered by lengthy instrumental intros or unnecessarily repeated choruses; they’re fairly short, to the point, and accessible. There are, however, a couple of duds among the eleven tracks on the album. One of these, “Sing This!” is a complete and utter waste of time. Easily the most pop-oriented track from the album, it contains an annoying beat and even worse vocals. The following track “The Ocean” is an instrumental number, and despite being calming, just kills any residual hype that “”Sing This!” didn’t and sets up the final track, “What This Means to Me” to sound mediocre in comparison to the rest of the album. To put it a bit more simply, if the album had ended at the eighth track, I wouldn’t mind.
Another facet of these bands that draws quite a bit of criticism is their insistence on auto-tune and vocoders when singing. While I See Stars’ vocalist does use a vocoder or auto-tune in some places, you can tell that in a few places he forgoes it and displays his somewhat vulnerable singing. Each of these different effects essentially creates a different vocal device, and combined with the multiple different screams and growls the vocalist has in his arsenal, the vocal structuring in most of the tracks is extremely varied (something that I find particularly attractive). The vocals, especially the screaming, are fairly reminiscent of Emarosa’s This Is Your Way Out EP, and fans of that album should definitely enjoy this. In fact, the only qualm I really have with the vocals is that I love to hear more screaming in comparison to singing.
I See Stars’ 3D is an album that is sure to be criticized by many. While some of this heat will be deserved, since songs like “Sing This!” are a complete waste of space, 3D is easily the best album of this subgenre I’ve heard. If you’re on the fence about these bands or actually enjoy this genre, I See Stars’ 3D should leave a great taste. However, if you’re just a purveyor of heavier music and have decided to give the style a go, then I’d start with 3D. Maybe, just maybe you’ll think it’s the glimmer of hope this genre is looking for.
We Came As Romans; Attack Attack; Agraceful; Emarosa’s This Is Your Way Out
http://www.myspace.com/iseestarsmusic
Release Date: April 14, 2009
Record Label: Sumerian Records
Fads come and fads go; in the process they leave behind a few bands that serve as the epiphany of the genre – whether good or bad. Surely everyone has noticed the latest of these trends. With bands like Handshakes and Highfives and Attack Attack emerging in hordes it would be almost impossible not to. These bands that fuse electronics with extremely pop oriented post-hardcore miss their mark much more often than they hit it, and really, to this point, I’ve had a fairly hard time finding one of them worth my time. However, it seems as if one of the earliest newcomers to this budding genre, I See Stars, have released an album that actually shows this fad has some kind of credibility.
I See Stars’ 3D has some truly brilliant moments. Unlike their peers, they manage to keep some form of actual technicality and musicianship on this album and don’t just dub everything over with an obnoxious synth beat. In the places where they do utilize a heavy electronic overlay, they tend to do so with more creative beats (see: the excellent intro to “Save the Cheerleader”). Their guitar work tends to be above par for this subgenre and, in many cases, post-hardcore in general. This is most noticeable in the aforementioned track where the presence of a synth is replaced with a charging technical riff. The band’s breakdowns tend to be more creative and fresh than I’m used to, and whether they switch it up with interesting vocal arrangements, such as the sonic screaming in “Big Bad Wolf,” or throw in a super catchy electronic beat they tend to be at least slightly unique.
In addition to those factors, another of I See Stars’ strengths lies in their ability to shift seamlessly between ultra-heavy and pleasantly catchy. Take “Big Bad Wolf” as an example; it shifts effortlessly between its vocoder-ridden chorus to the most vicious breakdown I think I’ve ever heard, all without any kind of jarring effect. This then shifts right back into the more pop oriented side of the band with the track “I Am Jacks Smirking Revenge,” showing their aptitude for keeping the album moving and mixing up the types of tracks. Songs aren’t hindered by lengthy instrumental intros or unnecessarily repeated choruses; they’re fairly short, to the point, and accessible. There are, however, a couple of duds among the eleven tracks on the album. One of these, “Sing This!” is a complete and utter waste of time. Easily the most pop-oriented track from the album, it contains an annoying beat and even worse vocals. The following track “The Ocean” is an instrumental number, and despite being calming, just kills any residual hype that “”Sing This!” didn’t and sets up the final track, “What This Means to Me” to sound mediocre in comparison to the rest of the album. To put it a bit more simply, if the album had ended at the eighth track, I wouldn’t mind.
Another facet of these bands that draws quite a bit of criticism is their insistence on auto-tune and vocoders when singing. While I See Stars’ vocalist does use a vocoder or auto-tune in some places, you can tell that in a few places he forgoes it and displays his somewhat vulnerable singing. Each of these different effects essentially creates a different vocal device, and combined with the multiple different screams and growls the vocalist has in his arsenal, the vocal structuring in most of the tracks is extremely varied (something that I find particularly attractive). The vocals, especially the screaming, are fairly reminiscent of Emarosa’s This Is Your Way Out EP, and fans of that album should definitely enjoy this. In fact, the only qualm I really have with the vocals is that I love to hear more screaming in comparison to singing.
I See Stars’ 3D is an album that is sure to be criticized by many. While some of this heat will be deserved, since songs like “Sing This!” are a complete waste of space, 3D is easily the best album of this subgenre I’ve heard. If you’re on the fence about these bands or actually enjoy this genre, I See Stars’ 3D should leave a great taste. However, if you’re just a purveyor of heavier music and have decided to give the style a go, then I’d start with 3D. Maybe, just maybe you’ll think it’s the glimmer of hope this genre is looking for.
We Came As Romans; Attack Attack; Agraceful; Emarosa’s This Is Your Way Out
http://www.myspace.com/iseestarsmusic