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A Skylit Drive - "Wires...and the Concept of Breathing"

Release Date: May 21, 2008

I first became interested in post-hardcore band A Skylit Drive with their release of this album, Wires...and the Concept of Breathing. I had heard good things about their previous EP, but when I looked at reviews online I found terrible review scores and disappointed listeners. People criticized the band's new vocalist and a seemingly over-produced sound. Naturally, I ignored it...Until a year later, when I stumbled upon the album yet again and decided to give it a listen.

WATCOB begins with the track "In the Beginning There was Void". While A Skylit Drive is by absolutely no means the pioneers of the filler track, bands who feel the need to bump up the number of tracks on their album really get to me. Being the first track, it really started me off in a negative mindset.

In an attempt to wash off this mediocrity, however, A Skylit Drive jump right back in with the track "Knights of the Round". The song features everything A Skylit Drive has to offer - deep, powerful screaming, a catchy chorus with clean vocals, interesting lyrics, and great song structure. After twenty listens I still have to sing along to, "I don't think you know, I don't think you know." "Knights of the Round" is, in my opinion, the best and most unique track on WATCOB, and the band would benefit more by sticking to its style.

Unfortunately, WATCOB shows its true colors starting with the third track. No other song really feels special or different, and if I wasn't extremely focused while listening I don't think I'd be able to tell you where one song ends and another one begins. There are a few good lyrics and a handful of catchy lines in other tracks, but the middle section of the album really drags, only to slightly pick itsself back up at "Ex Machina" onward.

While I appreciate singers with great vocals, I'm somewhat annoyed when they don't use their talent to its full potential. Jag, the band's lead vocalist, has a good clean voice, but he doesn't put emotion into his words. He just has the one same pitch throughout the majority of the record, and while I like it, it definitley gets old fast. Luckily, there's a decent amount of screaming mixed in so it's not just vocals, but the album would probably be worth more listens if it didn't feel like Jag was reading the lyrics off of a piece of paper.

I feel WATCOB is a good attempt from A Skylit Drive, but I think they can do so much more. The album is very enjoyable on the first and second listens, but the more you listen the more you realize how plain the album is. I wouldn't recommend paying full price for this album, but the band's probably worth at least one listen to the song "Knights of the Round."