Review: Of Mice & Men- EARTHANDSKY
October 25, 2019
Resilience is a word that has become synonymous with Of Mice & Men and their last record- Defy– showed exactly that. Fast forward to 2019 and their second record with bassist Aaron Pauley on vocals- EARTHANDSKY is ready to unleash upon the world and it’s the perfect successor to last year’s record.
Considering this record comes quickly, just one year removed from their last record- a strong one at that- for this record to be this good says a lot. Pauley has said the record is about resilience, which Of Mice & Men are experts at. Having lost a longtime lead vocalist and turning the role over to their bassist, only to put out one of the strongest records of 2019, resilience is their wheelhouse.
While Defy showed a band trying to find their identity and dabbling with more radio-metal-friendly songs and balancing that with the heavy shit that’s made them so popular, EARTHANDSKY shows us a band that’s found their footing, knows what works for them and that’s hitting their stride with flying colors.
While a lot of the radio style is still there, the heavy songs get heavy…as…fuck and it’s beautiful. “Mushroom Cloud” will be an instant live fan favorite while “How to Survive” is destructive, powerful and just plain gorgeous in every way imaginable.
In the end, this is a record that has something for every area of the band’s fanbase and there’s something to love for everyone who turns this bad boy on.
Rating: 9/10
-Reggie Edwards