Screaming out of Tempe, Arizona come Eyes Set To Kill, a five-piece band with many influences and a sense of what they want to become. Two sisters, Alexia and Anissa Rodriguez, formed the group in 2004 and their debut album, Reach, is set to release on February 19.
Alexia handles lead vocals and guitar and Anissa is the bass player. They were eventually joined by Brandon Anderson, their screamer and synth player; Greg Kerwin, second guitar to Alexia and drummer Caleb Clifton. The band has been doing well via online marketing. According to their press release, they booked their first tour through My Space and since then have managed to tour with acts like Papa Roach, Kittie, Jericho. They are a young band harnessing the power of the Internet to promote themselves.
The group’s stated goal, as given on its My Space page, is to "create a unique sound that … combines the soft, melodic feel of female vocals and gut-wrenching screaming, backed up by powerful instrumentals with a post hardcore influence."
In truth, they are a tough band to categorize. They’ve got the contrast of melodic female singing and screaming by Brandon. If they were just a screamo band I think they’d be a weak example, at least as far as the screaming goes. It shatters, punctures the songs and sounds almost like a gimmick at times. Brandon’s got a standard screech that contrasts too sharply with Alexia’s voice; she’s got a sensuous quiver to her singing. In fact, I think Eyes Set To Kill would be better off with her taking solo vocal duty.
The music itself just doesn’t sound heavy or raw enough to support the screaming. The synth sometimes dilutes the purity of the metal strike. That’s not meant to say that the music is bad, though. It sounds very well put together. At first, it seemed like the bass was missing but a good listen to “Darling” or “Into the Night” dismisses that notion. Anissa’s presence is certainly there. Clifton shows some good double bass work and the drums do seem taut but packaged as well as a little flat.
Article comments