ilos - ilos

ILOS

ILOS
self-released; 2013

3.6 out of 5

By Eva Cantillo

ILOS is a four-pieced band out of New York State and is quite an earful. Music on this self-titled EP ILOS was birthed from musician Adam Raymonda’s solo work, which then evolved and more members were added to support the dynamic sound. This is the band’s first production together and showcases the talents of each member of the band. You could compare ILOS’s music to that of Thrice or ASG.

Opening the album, the track “The World Will End Without Us” is an adventure through the style and talents behind the band. This is where you can really witness their inert metal-esque style and the justice paid to the genre’s anchoring instruments like the guitar and drums. There is a serious breakdown that lets you fall deep into the grooves of guitar and drum madness. Then you are brought back to consciousness by the lyrics “We fight, we dream, we’ve seen this world tear at the seams,” before being tantalized again by a Buckethead-like guitar riff.

The next song “Above the Chain” is a bit deeper and perhaps a bit darker than the first song. The chords and vocals are cavernous like a mysterious world of rebellion and fear that are characterized by hard-hitting drums and guitar chords all at the right time. With profound lyrics and vocal harmonization, a valley-effect is created in the melody, a hypnotic rise and fall of sound; “We've let our bodies become tombs for other living beings that were breed to heed and born to need.” The song carries an epic demeanor and carries on after completing because of the intensity of the theme.

For a metal-rock band, the vocals are not what you’d typically expect; the sound almost has a southern gruff to it that gives the listening product a really unique character. The harmonization with other members of the band adds surprising elements to each track as well. Apparently the record was produced in a home-studio, but it carries the quality of those recorded in a professional setting. For such a small EP, there really is an embodiment of the band’s style and each song has pure and successful metal rock creation.

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