Review: Islander- Power Under Control
August 31, 2016
Lineup changes can be a tough hurdle for many bands to overcome. When the lineup changes apply to every member except the frontman and come right after the debut album\’s tour cycle, it can serve to be nearly-fatal.
Not for Islander, though. The band has been tagged as the next coming of Rage Against The Machine or this generation\’s POD and their sophomore record- Power Under Control, could easily make or break Islander\’s career.
For this record, joining frontman Mikey Carvajal are ex-Foreveratlast bassist Ezekiel Vasquez, former Avenged Sevenfold drummer Arin Ilejay and Love and Death guitarist/former KoRn guitar tech J.R. Bareis.
Naturally, the sound is going to be a little different with this record, but the band has found a way to keep the sonic attack that\’s made them so popular and loved by many- they\’ve just expanded it a little bit.
The hardcore onslaught is still very prominent on tracks like “Darkness” and “Green Slime Man” but they also have a more melodic and straight rock arsenal on tracks like “Bad Guy” and “All We Need.” Fans who loved “Coconut Dracula” will definitely fall in love with the haunting “Beelzebub,” which has an equally-eerie intro in “A Boat Going By.”
In the end, Islander haven\’t just passed by the sophomore slump- they\’ve completely shattered it. This is the album Islander needed to make in every way and they\’ve proven themselves to be one of the heirs to the metal throne at a time when we need strong young bands to step up.
Rating: 9/10
-Reggie Edwards