I’m Trying as Hard as I Can Not to Make a “Raising the Roof” Pun
Chicago post-metallers Angel Eyes have since released a split with Germany’s A Fine Boat, that Coffin!, but on their EP …And for a Roof a Sky Full of Stars (Underground Communique), the five-piece works quickly to execute two extended tracks of thinky thinky heaviness, showing a considerable Isis influence in the process. The atmosphere is paramount on both “One” and “Two” (you’ll never guess which is first), and as much as the troubled screams and evocative lyrics firmly engage the listener, so too do the wispy guitar lines and background electronics noises enrich the emotionality of the experience.
This will be familiar territory for most fans of the genre, though like City of Ships, Angel Eyes seems to come from a more emo-centric position — one of these dudes sounds like the guy from Thursday when he screams. Doubtless that will repel some listeners looking for a “meatier” sound à la Through Silver in Blood, but …And for a Roof a Sky Full of Stars should not be immediately counted out. After all, with two tracks at 16:44 and 10:03, respectively, it’s not like Angel Eyes are writing three minute pop-punk songs for radio play and use in sneaker commercials.
Both “One” and “Two” offer richness of sound and plenty for the audience to delve into. At an appropriate volume, you might call them encompassing. A quick look at the lyrics too shows the serious consideration the band gives its material; both songs are prose poems about aging and the notion and meaning of adulthood. If it sounds like subject matter that might skew younger, it probably is, and one could say the same for the music on …And for a Roof a Sky Full of Stars. One can either buy in or not. Ultimately that depends on who’s hearing it and whether they go for this kind of poetic chicanery in their music. These are not songs about fast cars, women or the devil.
While I personally probably won’t find myself returning to …And for a Roof a Sky Full of Stars time and again, if only because most of what they’re doing has been done before, the band’s approach is interesting enough to make the EP a reasonably satisfying listen. If you’re remotely interested, I’d recommend a check on MySpace before a purchase is made, because really this one could go either way, and although I basically am, I doubt it’s a release about which many people will be on the fence.
Tags: Angel Eyes, Chicago, Underground Communique
