### Open The Skies: Conspiracies

#### 29/08/08 || The Duff

Open the Skies are a self-appointed “melodic, post-hardcore screamo” band hailing from Britain. Although I would consider their tag to be an apt description, I don’t understand why their album was passed through to Global Domination: many a metal fan will despise “Conspiracies”, not really because of the music (I can think of many currently running Swedish bands writing worse), which I’m guessing could appeal to the casual Iron Maiden/’tallica fan, mediocre hardcore or Avenged Sevenfold/Linkin Park supporter, but chiefly because of the vocals, which alternate between a whiny, Blink-182-clean vocal-style (the closest likeness I could find, really, but imagine worse), melodeath growls and “screamo” shouting (if you don’t know what this is, we’re in the same boat) – such an aspect to Open the Skies makes “Conspiracies” close to abhorrent.

Granted, I’m definitely not the best to review this album; no one on this site is, because this is the antithesis of a great metal band – it isn’t a metal band, basically, haha. The musicianship is actually of quite a moderate standard (as displayed by the drummer and guitarists, especially), but the good influences on this album are ruined by a lousy singer and a real shit, no-life approach to writing music – think Trivium, but nowhere near as interesting (I don’t like Trivium). Another big down factor to “Conspiracies” is the focus on power-choruses, which will undoubtedly seal this band’s doom “good an’ proppa” for many a metalhead – catchy shit draped in shit just isn’t doing it these days.

The heaviest sections to this disc are the breakdowns, which consist of slow-paced chug-riffs; that’ll be the death metal influence, then. Occasionally, I get a slight The Ocean vibe, but I’m guessing they just take similar hardcore influences as the almighty German outfit – in no way do these guys use such a style of music to an equally outstanding advantage. What else? Melodic leads that offer little as they are a run-by-numbers affair and the type of lyrics most would associate with the onset of puberty. At other times, these guys flirt with doomy piano interludes, electro-beats and acoustic-folk sections, none of which enhance the album’s worth – it’s all quite a mash-up, overall.

The three parts that make this disc most worthwhile are the chorus to “Silhouettes on Street”, which sounds like “Turn off the lights and say your prayers/We’ll leave you bleeding from the ass”, the jazz/tech death segment in track “Change”, and the snazzy opening to track “So Season Two”. This leaves us with an album not worth your time unless your into generally dull, unsatisfying music.

4 albums I’m surprised I’m not ripping apart more out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2008
- Label: Rising Records
- Website: www.opentheskies.com
- Band
- Josh McKeown: vocals
- Steve Lumley: guitars, vocals
- Kieran Brannigan: guitars, vocals
- Jamie Willis: bass
- Chris Velissarides: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Intro
- 02. A silent decade
- 03. Fear has no voice
- 04. Keiko’s last smile
- 05. He spoke of success
- 06. Interlude
- 07. Silhouettes on street
- 08. Change
- 09. So season two
- 10. Just for you
- 11. Yours faithfully
- 12. We could have had it all
- 13. A second from insanity
- 14. Reduced and charming