I See Stars Throw A Party

I See Stars gained a huge fan following after the release of their acclaimed debut album 3-D. The release defied genres and really captured the attention of many on the music scene. The guys brought forth the emergence of electronicore to the scene that proved to be a popular entrée to hungry music fans looking for something new. What exactly is electronicore? Well, you take one part auto-tone, add one part electronic, mesh in just about every genre imaginable and add a dash of screamed vocals.

The band toured heavily in support of their debut release, including the 2010 Warped Tour, and their live show gained new fans with each and every performance. Those fans have waited five years for new material and the result sees the band taking path in a new direction, while trying to stay true to their roots. The new album entitled The End of the World Party is definitely a party album with more focus on techno/dance and less on hardcore.

Lead singer Devin Oliver and his band mates have decided that, instead of recreating that magic that they captured with 3-D, they wanted to step it up and take it to a new level. The album tends to lean heavier on the electronic and techno edge, with less emphasis on the hardcore. Auto tune is something that a lot of bands are experimenting with and for some fans, it’s a “take it or leave it” addition. There is some experimentation with it on tracks such as “Home for the Weekend”, but I don’t think that the guys over saturate the music with it until the point of overkill.

I think there are some really great tracks on here including “The Common Hours 2” and the title track, with “Over It” being probably the strongest track overall. There are plenty of catchy and heavy riffs and the overall feel of the album is very upbeat and fun. Yes, they also still have their screams before the breakdowns also. It is still a heavy pop/electronic album, but nowhere along the lines of heaviness heard on their debut.

Overall, I found it very enjoyable. I am sure that there will be fans who want to hear that same formula again that they fell in love with and they may feel as if it comes up short in the heavy category. A band must be allowed to grow and try new things in order to expect any form of longevity in this fickle music industry. I commend I See Stars for trying something new and hope that it pays off for them.

http://www.barebonesmusic.com/barebonesmusic/Reviews/Entries/2011/3/10_I_SEE_STARSThe_End_of_The_World_Party.html