(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): BLUE SKIES FADE

Friday 2 December 2022

BLUE SKIES FADE

Band: BLUE SKIES FADE
Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metalcore / Metallic Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz

Related artists: ?.
Country: New Jersey U.S.A.
Years Active: 1997-2000
For fans of: You And I, The Story Of Floating Weeds, The Assistant, Dispensing Of False Halos, Crestfallen, Tyranny Of Shaw, and Codeseven.

Label(s): Inertia Records / Cast Down Records

I was recently shown this album from New Jersey hardcore/metalcore/emo band BLUE SKIES FADE. They seem to have played shows for a few years around the release of their only album 'The Untimely Construction of a Bridge To Jump Off'. The album is loaded with neurotic moments and transitions (sometimes seamlessly, sometimes not) that swerves the vessel between varying track lengths and genres, generally emo with raw sung vocals, metalcore/metallic hardcore, and screamo. Songs such as "Pacify the Agony" and "Blur" hold my attention while others like the 7+ minute opener "Monday", "Numb", and closer "Conspiracy" have but a few beacons of light amidst a flurry of stuff that just doesn't jive with me. Primary, the unjiviness comes from the clean vocals that are kinda tone-deaf - which some people love, but not me. The thing is, when the band moves into the heavier stuff they really excel at it. The first half of "Angelica's Story" is badass and reminiscent of bands like Dispensing Of False Halos, The Assistant, and 'Division of Labor'-era Codeseven (those dual vox are intense), but the introspective midsection doesn't do anything for me. This holds true for the last two minutes of "On The Side Of Darkness" (another needlessly lengthy endeavor), most of "Blur" and "Pacify the Agony" as the intense, engrossing, cathartic aspects of the band shine brightly.