Alex DiVincenzo
10/08/08, 12:21 PM
Beneath the Sky - The Day the Music Died
Record Label: Victory Records
Release Date: June 24, 2008
It's rare that you come across a metalcore album longer than forty-five minutes. I thoroughly enjoy the sub-genre, but there's only so much you can do with it before becoming tired of it in a single sitting. Beneath the Sky went against the grain on The Day the Music Died, their second full-length for Victory Records, by crafting an album that clocks in at nearly an hour. Prior to recording, the group replaced a few members and dropped their keytarist. The new line-up sounds strong on the record, but the group disbanded less than two months after the its release, coincidental given the title.
Beneath the Sky borders on deathcore in many instances, but overall the album has a definite metalcore feel with its clean vocals mixed in. Vocalist Joey Nelson switches between low grunts and high screams, but usually settles somewhere in the middle. He's accompanied by melodic singing from guitarist Kevin Stafford and bassist Nick Scarberry. Some of the singing seems forced and out of place, but otherwise it brings a nice change. The band is rounded out by guitarist Jeff Nelson and drummer Bryan Cash.
"Nature of the Beast" begins the album with a corny introduction about a zombie outbreak. It's laughable, but suitable given the accompanied B-movie-esque artwork. Once the music takes the reigns, a breakdown kicks things off. This is a appropriate start, as the majority of the tracks have at least one designated mosh part. "Respect for the Dead" keeps with the zombie theme. It starts with a nice -- albeit prolonged -- acoustic intro before breaking into a tune about the undead, with lines quoting Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. Much of the lyrics on the track are jocular, such as "Como esta, bitches / We're here to spread the disease / Get you in our grasp / And fuck your shit up." It's a fast-paced and fun song. I wish the band had this kind of festivity more often rather than all the sappy stuff. This track is followed by the cheesy balled "Another Day." The acoustic song, like many on the album, is about love loss. It's not bad for what it is, but it's melodramatic with a string accompaniment and out of place on an album of this nature.
"The Bell of the Ball" is nearly ten minutes long, though it seems more like they recorded a regular three-minute song, then randomly tacked on a slower song for another six minutes, followed by an acoustic interlude to end it. "It All Ends With a Smile" also slows things down and includes a guitar solo. The group reworked two older songs, "Misery With a Delicate Voice" and "With a Gun Smoke Kiss." They originally appeared on More Than You Can Handle, the debut EP that got them signed to Victory. Fittingly, they also recorded this album with the same crew as the EP.
Beneath the Sky are talented musicians, but the album is too long for its own good, which makes the lasting value suffer. Because of the lengthy running time, things become repetitive, and when the band does try to mix things up it comes off more as filler. It was sad that they broke up prior to reaching their prime because The Day the Music Died showed a lot of potential.
Emmure; Parkway Drive; As Blood Runs Black; The Acacia Strain; Bring Me the Horizon
myspace.com/beneaththesky (http://www.myspace.com/beneaththesky)
Record Label: Victory Records
Release Date: June 24, 2008
It's rare that you come across a metalcore album longer than forty-five minutes. I thoroughly enjoy the sub-genre, but there's only so much you can do with it before becoming tired of it in a single sitting. Beneath the Sky went against the grain on The Day the Music Died, their second full-length for Victory Records, by crafting an album that clocks in at nearly an hour. Prior to recording, the group replaced a few members and dropped their keytarist. The new line-up sounds strong on the record, but the group disbanded less than two months after the its release, coincidental given the title.
Beneath the Sky borders on deathcore in many instances, but overall the album has a definite metalcore feel with its clean vocals mixed in. Vocalist Joey Nelson switches between low grunts and high screams, but usually settles somewhere in the middle. He's accompanied by melodic singing from guitarist Kevin Stafford and bassist Nick Scarberry. Some of the singing seems forced and out of place, but otherwise it brings a nice change. The band is rounded out by guitarist Jeff Nelson and drummer Bryan Cash.
"Nature of the Beast" begins the album with a corny introduction about a zombie outbreak. It's laughable, but suitable given the accompanied B-movie-esque artwork. Once the music takes the reigns, a breakdown kicks things off. This is a appropriate start, as the majority of the tracks have at least one designated mosh part. "Respect for the Dead" keeps with the zombie theme. It starts with a nice -- albeit prolonged -- acoustic intro before breaking into a tune about the undead, with lines quoting Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. Much of the lyrics on the track are jocular, such as "Como esta, bitches / We're here to spread the disease / Get you in our grasp / And fuck your shit up." It's a fast-paced and fun song. I wish the band had this kind of festivity more often rather than all the sappy stuff. This track is followed by the cheesy balled "Another Day." The acoustic song, like many on the album, is about love loss. It's not bad for what it is, but it's melodramatic with a string accompaniment and out of place on an album of this nature.
"The Bell of the Ball" is nearly ten minutes long, though it seems more like they recorded a regular three-minute song, then randomly tacked on a slower song for another six minutes, followed by an acoustic interlude to end it. "It All Ends With a Smile" also slows things down and includes a guitar solo. The group reworked two older songs, "Misery With a Delicate Voice" and "With a Gun Smoke Kiss." They originally appeared on More Than You Can Handle, the debut EP that got them signed to Victory. Fittingly, they also recorded this album with the same crew as the EP.
Beneath the Sky are talented musicians, but the album is too long for its own good, which makes the lasting value suffer. Because of the lengthy running time, things become repetitive, and when the band does try to mix things up it comes off more as filler. It was sad that they broke up prior to reaching their prime because The Day the Music Died showed a lot of potential.
Emmure; Parkway Drive; As Blood Runs Black; The Acacia Strain; Bring Me the Horizon
myspace.com/beneaththesky (http://www.myspace.com/beneaththesky)