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By GREG MAKI
Hardcore-influenced metal bands have been doing the good cop/bad cop vocal arrangements for several years now. The newer trend is to throw a female vocalist into the mix for a beauty-and-the-beast effect. Knoxville ’s Straight Line Stitch fits into the latter category, but the thing that separates them from most of the pack: they’re really good and When Skies Wash Ashore, their debut full-length release, is one of the best albums I’ve heard so far in 2008.
Frontwoman Alexis Brown is a star in the making, balancing a raspy, bloodcurdling scream with a beautiful melodic tone. The crisp production by Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano (Cradle of Filth, Bleeding Through) places her front and center, allowing her to shine. The band behind her—guitarists Seth Thacker and Pat Pattison, bassist Jason White and drummer Patrick Haynes—is just as diverse. Take, for example, “Never See the Day,” which comes out of the gate swinging with hardcore-infused verses, a pop-inflected chorus and a melodic, reflective bridge that even uses a little piano.
Straight Line Stitch is no one-trick pony, either. “Taste of Ashes” punishes Hatebreed-style and features guest screams by Hatebreed main man Jamey Jasta. More in the hard rock realm, “Eucharist,” “What Can You Do to Me?” and “Seneca Tragedy” have Brown singing exclusively and yet they are among the disc’s strongest tracks. “Adult Cinema” seamlessly transitions between its aggressive verses and a fantastic chorus with hooks coming from the vocals and guitars. “World Made Flesh” manages to be both brutally heavy—the moshpits should be insane for this one—and catchy at the same time, adding a creative guitar solo to boot. “Yesterday’s Gone,” an acoustic number, showcases yet another side of the band.
The bottom line: When Skies Wash Ashore is a great album that shows there is still room for creativity within an increasingly formulaic genre. |
