I See Stars - New Demons (320CBR) [MentalZero]

Genre/s Metalcore, electronicore, post-hardcore,

I See Stars strays away from all the musical features you are used too, blending all genres of music, in hopes to set the bar for a new unique sound.


Under The Gun Review, written by: James Shotwell

Artist: I See Stars
Album: New Demons
Genre: Electronic Hardcore
Label: Sumerian

I See Stars arrived on the national scene at a time when the turnover rate for heavy bands in the alternative scene was at an all time high. Their debut, 3D3D and did not return until the group’s second album, The End of The World Party was nearly complete. Cleans vocalist Devin Oliver had lost his creative counter-balance, and the results were a mixed bag of songs skewing more pop than anything else. Fans stayed true, however, and the band returned stronger than ever with 2012's Digital Renegade. That album found the band dropping their pop sensibilities to further embrace their EDM influence, and though there were growing pains, listeners could tell the band was onto something big. Now the group’s fourth album is ready for release, and I’ll tell you right off the top it’s without a doubt the best album of their career.

Having spanned the rock landscape from radio-leaning singles to mosh-worthy anthems, I’m not sure anyone knew quite what to expect when I See Stars first announced plans to release New Demons earlier this year. The title was decidedly darker than anything the band had released, and it followed a year that found them making headlines for controversy (arrests, Radke) almost as often as their music. Add to this the messaging released by the band defining their ‘electronic hardcore‘ sound in July, and it’s safe to say intrigue was at an all time high for the career of I See Stars. The first teasers promised a heavier sound, which is indeed true, as well as more electronic influence, which is also true. What it did not and quite possibly could not reveal, however, is just how masterfully I See Stars have blended these two elements on their latest release.

Opening with an initiation sequence that plays perfectly into the band’s larger-than-life sound, New Demons introduces the world to a far more confident and focused I See Stars. They’re no longer trying to reach for broad appeal, but have chosen instead to further explore the possibilities of merging the realms of EDM, hard rock, and yes, just a pinch of pop. It’s an album built to be enjoyed as a complete listening experience, but any song plays fine on its own as well. There are no radio songs or throwaway singles, and as much as that might hurt marketing to some demographics it makes for a more fluid (and enjoyable) listening experience. I See Stars aren’t out to grab you with a single hook or breakdown, they want to win you over on the strength of all those elements combined, and they succeed with flying colors throughout the course of New Demons.

The fact that I See Stars have crafted such a complete listening experience makes it difficult to pinpoint individual standout tracks and dissect them. “Follow The Leader,” the album’s first true song, does a great job of setting up the rest of the release by offering at least a glimpse at everything the group has in store on the tracks ahead. The two biggest changes noticeable in their sound is creative use of EDM and the immensely improved vocals of both frontmen. Johnson is deeper and more ferocious than ever without resorting to the constant flood of layers that were heard on Digital Renegade and Oliver keeps his high notes in check throughout. His soaring vocals have always been a signature of the group, but having been tempered just a bit they fit better with the overall sonic offering being created by the band.

Call it flipping a switch or finally putting the pieces together, but at some point in the last year I See Stars turned a corner in their career that set them on a trajectory for genre takeover unlike any release in their lives up to this point. New Demons is the record fans have always believed I See Stars were capable of making, and it sets the bar considerably high for any other group hoping to cash in on their electronic hardcore sound. I’m not foolish enough to think it will win over every naysayer, because the group has not changed entirely, but instead they have evolved over time into a better (and heavier) band that is really going to catch people off guard in the year ahead.