Released less than two years after
Adelphia,
Identity on Fire offers more of the familiar
A Skylit Drive formula: emotional, weighty alt-rock anthems punctuated by guttural growls, screams, electronics, and the occasional synthesizer. Like many screamo bands,
A Skylit Drive put most of their energy into making volatile (but melodic) music, saving
Brian White’s screams for key moments and giving most of the spotlight to lead vocalist Michael Jagmin. Much has been made of
Jagmin’s similarity to
Geddy Lee, and these 12 songs do little to dispel that connection. He sings in an impossibly high register, with a touch of nasality and drama-kid theatricality adding some color to the melodies. The other bandmates don’t take such unique approaches to their own instruments, but they do know how to keep things varied, whether they’re launching into half-time during a bridge or sprinkling some dark, atmospheric electronica into an otherwise straightforward rock song. At times, the guys resemble a rap-free
Linkin Park; elsewhere, they’re indistinguishable from millennial metalcore acts like
We Came as Romans.
A Skylit Drive have a rare frontman in Michael Jagmin, though, and they’d do well to stretch more boundaries on their future albums. ~ Andrew Leahey