Eyes Set to Kill - Reach
%20Suburban%20Noize/SNZ%20Web%20Images/SNZ%20Album%20Covers/EyesSetToKill_Reach_100x100.jpg "Eyes Set to Kill - Reach")
CD Info
2008
Break Silence Records
12 Tracks
English Lyrics
Eyes Set to Kill is somewhat of an anomaly among female fronted metal bands, but also an example of how far the charm of female vocals is spreading within music. Now that the female voice has made its presence known within folk, gothic, and symphonic metal genres, the time has come for it to find a niche in other genres as well. In this case, hardcore and screamo. Chances are that those words have just turned many away from this, and if this kind of music isn’t your thing, then rightly so. But if you’ve more of an open mind, you might just continue reading.
Eyes Set to Kill is a band composed mainly of kids in their late teens or early 20’s from Tempe, Arizona. Two sisters, Anissa (bass) and Alexia (guitar/vocals) Rodriguez, Brandon Anderson (vocals/keyboards), Caleb Clifton (drums) and Greg Kerwin (guitar) make up the lineup. They released their debut album, Reach (under review below), in 2008 and since then have enjoyed increased success and media coverage. Anissa and Alexia were even featured in Revolver’s Hottest Chicks in Metal, alongside bigger names such as Cristina Scabbia, Maria Brink, and Simone Simons. In July 2009, they released their second album, The World Outside, which will be followed by a headlining tour around the US in October.
Musically, this band combines screaming male vocals and clean, somewhat high-pitched female vocals, backed by crunchy guitars in the average metalcore/hardcore style. Along with the heavy sound, the music includes some pop elements and catchy vocal lines and choruses. Basically, mix Lacuna Coil and In This Moment, add a touch of pop and mainstream, and you’ve got Eyes Set to Kill. Although that doesn’t sound particularly appealing (and I too was turned off by this as first), one listen to the band’s first album, Reach, may change your mind. These kids do have talent, and not just in playing but they have some skill in musical composition. For a debut, this is well done.The album starts out with a short piano intro, combined with some industrial sounds in the background. It is oddly gothic, and something you’d expect more from a band that we would be more likely to review here on Sonic Cathedral. That jumps right into the first song, Sketch in Black and White. Heavy and cruchy guitars, followed by both screaming and clean vocals from both singers. It’s fast paced and catchy, and a good start to the album. It’s followed by the two singles from this release, Reach and Darling. The former is similar to the first track and is the more mainstream of the two. The latter, however, is darker, heavier, and an overall excellent song. Probably one of the best in Eyes Set to Kill’s repertoire.
The next few songs go a little downhill. They’re not as memorable as the first few tracks on this album and sort of fade into the background. The CD comes back up with Where We Started, a little softer but very catchy. Two songs later, you get the next great track, Liar in the Glass, which starts off heavy, then as the chorus begins it softens, which is somewhat unusual because the opposite is true for most bands. This song also has it’s hooks and is one of the most memorable on this release. The rest of the album goes downhill again, but not by much. Still, the songs aren’t as memorable as the rest.
As for the lyrics, what could you expect of a band like this? The usual angsty teenager writing poetry (which is actually how the band’s name came to be). Although that’s the case for nearly every song, the lyrics are of varying quality. Some, like those for Darling, have some memorable lines like "Don’t mind me, I’m only dying", which shows a bit of dark sarcasm. Others range from average to cheesy. Still, if you don’t listen to lyrics all that much, it won’t be much of a problem.
The only problem I have with this album is the fluctuation in quality of the songs. It goes from memorable to forgettable and back throughout the album. Some are also a bit repetitive, especially as the album nears its end. Otherwise, the songs are both heavy and catchy and even if some aren’t that musically challenging and have little that makes them completely, you might just find yourself enjoying them and singing along. Standout tracks are Sketch in Black and White, Reach, Darling, and Liar in the Glass.
7.5 / 10
