Design The Skyline – Neveah – August 16th, 2011 – Victory Records
Written by James McGrath
Unfortunately, to the people who are not familiar with the scene within which we all live, there is one particular haircut that will define us for years to come. That is the first reason I hate Design the Skyline; although I will be fair and not just this awful book by its ugly cover. This band has seven members, SIX of them have the SAME FUCKING HAIRCUT that people began to hate and Rob Dobi refers to as “The Brootal Kid”.
This band recently signed to the label known for great singings and even better band contracts, Victory records. The collection of audio diarrhea that this band decided to release is inexplicably entitled Nevaeh. There seems to be an odd cohesiveness to the album, which I guess is a good thing.
Hidden between all of the atrocious death growls seems to be a Devil Wears Prada cover band just waiting to emerge. Honestly, if ‘Reality Away’ was the first track, I would have possible given this album a listen because this Texas septet (yes, SEVEN members) does such a good job ripping off the aforementioned Ohio metalcore enthusiasts. Instead, the intro track of this band’s debut album is ‘Crystal Swords Kill The Hordes’, which is littered with horrible death growls and even worse breakdowns. The breakdowns are so forced it seems as if this band is also trying to emulate many bands on a different label, leaving me wondering why Rise did not snatch up this ‘talented’ group of kids. The saving grace on this song and the album is the vaguely melodic clean vocals and the drumming. But that is like saying that the best part of Susan Boyle is her voice, honestly: who the fuck cares?
Either the lyrics written for this album were so bad, or DTS decided they were such amazing musicians and/or programmers that three tracks needed to be instrumental. There is one part of the song ‘Reverie’ that definitely sounds like a hoard of birds dying all at once. I assume these three tracks would be injected into a live set list (assuming people go see them live) in order for the bros to take a break from the epic slam dancing that would ensue from listening to gems like ‘Witch of the Woods’.
If you pay for this album or pay to see this band live, I apologize. This album has as much integrity as the guy at the frat house that feels up drunken freshmen then claims that he ‘scored’. Incidentally this is the same type of person who claims that Design The Skyline is ‘the next big thing, bro, I swear!’ and goes to put on his mesh tank top and flat brim hat and proceeds to windmill his fists into peoples faces.
Overall, if you find the worst The Devil Wears Prada, Underoath and Rise-core cover bands and smash them all together you would be left with Design The Skyline. If Victory Records would like to regain some respect, they will trade every band that remotely resembles this pile of shit band to Rise Records and start signing bands that deserve it (See: Transit, Man Overboard, A Loss for Words, Sharks – well done, Rise).
I give this album one-half star out of five because it does take some intelligence to record music and I do enjoy ‘Reality Away’.
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