Emo rock and rock in general have been on the decline in the music industry. A few bands like Twenty One Pilots have been able to keep some of the old feeling alive by combining emo music with elements of hip hop, hip hop being the current most popular genre. Bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Thirty Seconds to Mars have adapted their song so much to the modern pop landscape that their new albums now sound more like basic arena rock. Their albums are still good. But, they don’t express the same angst as their classics. Often the emo landscape can feel desolate and forsaken. And, it can seem like no new bands will come to reinvigorate the genre.
Then along comes a band like Sleep Eater, a local Las Vegas band, to bring new hope to the genre. Sleep Eater’s debut EP “Off The Beaten Path”. The album combines the angst of Hawthorne Heights’ “The Silence In Black And White” with jazzy rhythms and electronic keyboard. That can sound strange. But trust me, it’ll bring back the feeling of being at your first mosh pit at a Chiodos concert.
Off The Beaten Path
Tracks like Disappear are simultaneously catchy and dark. It’s reminiscent of the effect of “Dance Dance” by Fall Out Boy. While songs like “Silver Curtain”, evoke the punk drive of “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows” by Brand New. The guitar playing is clever, the vocals are on point and the occasional screams feel menacing. On top of that, the production quality is modern and crisp.
The stand out track for me is probably “Draw The Line.” The song combines interesting melody and sounds through intelligent use of keyboard guitar and drum beats. On top of that, the chorus is as catchy as they come. It’s reminiscent of the album Heroine by From First To Last and the solo section during the bridge feels like a jazz recital as much as it feels like an emo song.
So, if you want to recapture that feeling of jamming out to a favorite emo band for the first time, check out Sleep Eater’s “Off The Beaten Path”.
Enjoy!