I See Stars have been around for a few years now, and they play that particular brand of electronic post-hardcore that has grown in popularity. I enjoyed their debut 3-D a great deal, and wondered what had happened to them, as little news was released between that album and their newest effort The End Of The World Party. After hearing this album in its entirety, I find myself wishing that this six-piece from Michigan had waited a little longer before completing their sophomore release.
The title track leads off and it sounds like good old I See Stars – crushing vocals, tight guitar work, and an all around heavy feel with good melodic influence. The second song, “Over It”, comes on and clean vocals dominate the song. The chorus’s lyrics are poorly written at best and I found myself groaning whenever it came on. “Still Not Quite Enough” is up next, and I found myself wondering if I was still listening to I See Stars at all. Poppy drum beats, pathetic guitars, an excessive amount of synth, and vocals reminiscent of the days of the boy band make you wonder if these Michigan boys intend to play anything remotely heavy any more. At this point, you and I (the listeners) must realize that ISS has taken a turn for the softer side of post-hardcore. But that’s ok, we can deal with that, right? The music is still good, right? Well, we’re in for a disappointment there, too. With guitars riffs about as generic as they come and overly auto-tuned vocals, “Wonderland” is nothing more than an over-produced pop-rock song for the majority of its play time. I don’t have a problem with lots of tweaking and programming in music, but when the actual musical quality suffers from it, you need to realize that you’re doing more harm than good. “Home For The Weekend” is yet another overly pop influenced song, with song content so pointless that it made me want to shut the album off and stop my review right here. But that would be a disservice to you fine individuals, as you need to know just how far this band has fallen.
Track six brings us “It Will Be Up (High School Never Ends)”. I know. I don’t understand it either, but are you really surprised at this point? “Upside Down” opens with a forgettable synth intro and… clapping? Seriously, guys? Clapping? Then, as if that wasn’t enough, it leads into a verse that sounds frighteningly like a hip hop or R&B song. Once again forsaking talented guitarists for excessive synth, “The Common Hours II” continues this pattern of letting you down. “Where I Let You Down (Numb)” is the ninth song on this incredible disappointment. I could make a joke about the appropriate nature of this title, but it almost seems futile to even do that. With a sigh of relief, we reach the last two tracks: “Glow” and “Pop Rock And Roll”. Nothing new on these songs; they bring more of the same to the table.
The title track leads off and it sounds like good old I See Stars – crushing vocals, tight guitar work, and an all around heavy feel with good melodic influence. The second song, “Over It”, comes on and clean vocals dominate the song. The chorus’s lyrics are poorly written at best and I found myself groaning whenever it came on. “Still Not Quite Enough” is up next, and I found myself wondering if I was still listening to I See Stars at all. Poppy drum beats, pathetic guitars, an excessive amount of synth, and vocals reminiscent of the days of the boy band make you wonder if these Michigan boys intend to play anything remotely heavy any more. At this point, you and I (the listeners) must realize that ISS has taken a turn for the softer side of post-hardcore. But that’s ok, we can deal with that, right? The music is still good, right? Well, we’re in for a disappointment there, too. With guitars riffs about as generic as they come and overly auto-tuned vocals, “Wonderland” is nothing more than an over-produced pop-rock song for the majority of its play time. I don’t have a problem with lots of tweaking and programming in music, but when the actual musical quality suffers from it, you need to realize that you’re doing more harm than good. “Home For The Weekend” is yet another overly pop influenced song, with song content so pointless that it made me want to shut the album off and stop my review right here. But that would be a disservice to you fine individuals, as you need to know just how far this band has fallen.
Track six brings us “It Will Be Up (High School Never Ends)”. I know. I don’t understand it either, but are you really surprised at this point? “Upside Down” opens with a forgettable synth intro and… clapping? Seriously, guys? Clapping? Then, as if that wasn’t enough, it leads into a verse that sounds frighteningly like a hip hop or R&B song. Once again forsaking talented guitarists for excessive synth, “The Common Hours II” continues this pattern of letting you down. “Where I Let You Down (Numb)” is the ninth song on this incredible disappointment. I could make a joke about the appropriate nature of this title, but it almost seems futile to even do that. With a sigh of relief, we reach the last two tracks: “Glow” and “Pop Rock And Roll”. Nothing new on these songs; they bring more of the same to the table.
I loved I See Stars’ debut album. It had the right combination of pop melody and metal brutality. The End Of The World Party completely abandoned that formula in favor of something that may be more “radio friendly”, but is a step back in both musicianship, song writing, and maturity. I was extremely excited for this album, which may be why my disappointment is so much greater. Let’s hope that this is only a phase for I See Stars, and that they’ll realize that they need to go back to the formula that worked so well before.
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