Search - Kylesa :: To Walk a Middle Course

If you like Neurosis and Mastdon..

Scott Gauthier | Cape Cod, MA | 04/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Then this album is for you. The tempo of the songs, and a lot of the vocals remind me of Souls at Zero era Neurosis. The riffing stands out like Mastodon's. It's just a great album all around. I really liked the last EP they put out, and this just exceeds it. It's also got a crust/hardcore sound to it as well, that just makes it even better. Motion and Presence is an awesome song, with a great intro that just builds into a heavy mass of noise. Another incredible song is In Memory, which has some great vocals and drumming, on top of the fierce riff that pummels you during the song. All in all this is an EXCELLENT album, and if you like anything Neurosis, Mastodon, or even His Hero Dies, then pick this up. Believe me you will not be dissapointed."

Surprise, something heavy that you've never heard

Paul D. Lyons | 09/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kylesa is a sort of missing link. They are one of the few post-hardcore bands that has so obviously kept their hardcore roots. And they are also the only post-hardcore band to dare bridging the gap between the spastic psychedelic punk of Fugazi and At the Drive-In and classic doom and grind. And it's a combination that actually works.



If anyone says this album is "too radio-friendly," ignore them. This is too weird, too instrumental, too spacy, too sludgy, and too noisy to ever garner radio play.



Despite imperfections here and there (such as the often lame chick-yelping), if Kylesa stays together for very long, they'll be remembered as one of the most original and important post-hardcore acts. And "To Walk a Middle Course" is their first sure-footed step towards that potential legacy.



The closing trio of Eyes Closed From Birth-Shatter the Clock-Phantoms is a strong statement. Let's hope they continue along this path."

Execution Is The Key Word Here

Chris Conlan (BreakingCustom.com) | Iowa | 05/11/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Review by Ray Harkins:



In a highly unlikely paring, Kylesa and Prosthetic Records decided to team up in the beginning of 2004 for Kylesa's next few full-length records. The reason this paring seems of such an odd nature is the fact that Kylesa comes from such a DIY punk background and never really seemed interested in going in a more (dare I say) commercial direction and have some financial contribution to their life as a band.



Even though most of their true "punk" fans would light up message boards and shows alike with cries of sellout, Kylesa seemed focus on what they wanted to do with their band, make the music they wanted to and get the most amount of people listening to it.



Hailing from Savannah, Georgia, Kylesa have a rich background in the punk scene with their most notable reference as being ex-Damad. The potential for this extreme act to reach many mainstream metal people's hands was quite exciting and they entered the studio with knob-turner Alex Newport (At The Drive In, Melvins) to get a natural, yet dirty sound that they needed much akin to the new From Ashes Rise record on Jade Tree.



If the review were based solely on the merits of the bands message and their sheer energy in the live realm, it would be a 10/10, but focusing on this specific record, it really leaves an awkward taste in the mouth. Musically, it is simply dry and boring, nothing moves around and goes for your throat like all of their previous EP's and 7"s have done. The record seems compressed and stale in every aspect of it, all the way down to the art. Lyrically, Kylesa have held up as an impressive entity, but that is only a portion of the record.



"To Walk A Middle Path" seems like such an amazing experiment on paper, but when executed it just seems to be flat from the get go."