Melodic metal meets screamo with Reach, the debut album by Eyes Set to Kill. A family act, Eyes Set to Kill was formed in 2004 by sisters Alexia and Anissa Rodriguez and their rise has been swift. Eyes were the number one unsigned band on MySpace for 10 months and their EP, When Silence is Broken the Night is Torn, and DVD, A Day With Eyes Set to Kill were No. 2 and No. 1 respectively on smartpunk.com.
Alexia – the band's lead singer, lead guitarist and pianist – has a sweet, powerful, melodic voice not unlike Amy Lee or Christina Scabbia. Alexia's pleasing vocals are contrasted by the guttural screams of synth keyboardist, Brandon Anderson.
The sound can be unnerving at first – it's not often you hear someone harmonizing with someone screaming, but the band generally makes it work. On "Reach," when Alexia sings "trying so hard to reach you" doubled with the screaming voice, it's almost as if we are hearing her polite, public persona crying out with her inner longings represented by the screams (Listen/Download). The powerful vocals are juxtaposed against equally powerful guitars and drums with melodies not unlike those of Iron Maiden or Megadeth.
On "Young Blood Spills Tonight," Alexia tackles the subject of divorce from both her and her mother's perspective, showing her pain with lyrics such as "sip my blood till there's no blood left to spill from my neck" (Listen/Download). The song starts quietly on acoustic guitar, before slamming into the chorus with Anderson's screaming vocals.
"Where We Started" deals with Alexia's frustrations of doing all she can for her man, yet it's still not enough and he pushes her away. It's a real pain people all to often go through during relationships (Listen/Download).
While their sound may not be for everyone, Eyes Set to Kill have worked hard and built up a loyal following. They have tours with Papa Roach and Kittie under their belts and, on Reach, the band shows that their future looks bright.
Released February 19, 2008
