ALBUM REVIEW: EARTHANDSKY – Of Mice & Men
OF MICE & MEN are letting all hell break lose as they unleash their sixth studio album EARTHANDSKY, the highly anticipated follow up from their 2018 Defy that also marks their second full-length album with Aaron Pauley taking up the reigns as frontman. Their latest offering delves deeper into the grips of heavy metal, seeing the Orange County band delve into excitingly new uncharted territory for their sound that’s full of surprises, guitar solos, breakdowns, and insane vocal offerings from Pauley. This new album is set to define the band’s future, separating them from their 2010 scene/metalcore past and pushing them in a matured direction that just happens to be a lot heavier.
Their previous release Defy stepped away from their historic 2010 metalcore sound founded in their four older studio albums with ex-lead singer Austin Carlile. With the presence of a new frontman Aaron Pauley, this signified an overarching change for the band who begun dipping their toes into a heavier side of metal in their 2018 LP. Still, Defy favoured a commercially friendly sound for most of its tracks, understandably to ease audiences into the new sound for OF MICE & MEN.
However, EARTHANDSKY solidifies their change in pace more confidently, the tracks are evidently more expansive in their techniques and creative endeavours which, for the most part, break away from their previous metalcore shell. EARTHANDSKY takes greater strides into grittier, ruthless heavy metal similar to that of METALLICA or SLAYER with fast-paced tracks like Pieces and The Mountain or their melodic guitar solos that feature in Mushroom Cloud and Taste of Regret that give a callback to classic 70’s metal guitar solos. Each track pockets its own unique moment within the album, no two songs are the same both sonically and in their narrative tone which seems impossible to achieve in an overly saturated genre like metal.
As an album, EARTHANDSKY flows cohesively with not a single track feeling unhinged, in fact their best efforts go into the placement of their tracks that bring an extra ‘oomph’ to listeners who might be taken off guard. A great example of this is a softer break with Meltdown between The Mountain and Linger that might surprise listeners as it kicks back in with the chaotic Linger. The same can be said for the song that kicks off the album, Gravedancer‘s ominous beginnings might mislead listeners to a sweeter start, that is until the guitar riffs surface and all hell breaks loose.
But for fans of their earlier works, hints of their previous sound sprinkle throughout the album in songs such as The Mountain that features a phenomenal 2014-esque breakdown, something that would be considered an easy moshpit starter. Or to those who loved their harmonious choruses like in Would You Still Be There, Pauley lives up to his clean vocal abilities in tracks like Meltdown that older fans will certainly warm to.
EARTHANDSKY is more than its music, Pauley’s lyrical talents create a story arc that cradles the album with the soulful tracks creating an overarching theme of aggression and pain. OF MICE & MEN’s lyrical counterpart has become a defining characteristic of the band by their fans for its relatability and sometimes brutal honesty. But as they step into a renaissance of their career, their lyrics mature with them, focusing less on self-pity and more of overcoming pain such as “Is everything black and white or a shade of gray?” in Deciever or “I watched you burn every bridge then blame the smoke for your eyes burning” in Meltdown.
EARTHANDSKY is a hefty gift from OF MICE & MEN. One could argue it’s merely the “step-up” from Defy with an expected push into an even heavier direction, but pockets of surprises with songs that don’t hold back in the experimental changes give them a unique, refreshing sound. If this is anything to claim for what the future of OF MICE & MEN promises, then it’s looking like a bright future.
Rating: 9/10
EARTHANDSKY is set for release on September 27th via Rise Records.
Like OF MICE & MEN on Facebook.