Review by Rachel Jablonski
I first noticed the Knoxville, Tennessee based metal/hardcore band Straight Line Stitch on an episode of Headbanger’s Ball. I heard some promise in the band’s sound and after the brief encounter I was interested in hearing more. I wanted to like them. I really did. So when I received the band’s debut on Koch Records, When Skies Wash Ashore, I was ready to be invigorated by my open-minded listen.
Produced by Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano (Cradle of Filth, Bleeding Through, 36 Crazyfists), When Skies Wash Ashore portrays a collage of vocal styles with a heavy musical base. Front woman and vocalist Alexis Brown leads the quintet with everything from screams and growls to pop-like and soulful singing. Though I admire Brown for her leadership and vocal abilities, it quickly becomes apparent that the heavy music style of Straight Line Stitch doesn't mesh that well with her singing vocals.
“Never See the Day” begins the album with an energetic burst of double bass drum, heavy guitars, and a scream that grabs attention, pumps up the listener, and seems promising for metal fans. But the song loses its punch and impact 25 seconds into the song when the singing comes in. Brown’s scream is decent enough, but her singing vocals are simply too pure and pop-like for the music, even in the more melodic rock musical parts. The high octave vocal harmonies are way too pleasant as demonstrated in songs like “Adult Cinema”, very heavy in parts, and “What Can You Do To Me?”, which has a very catchy chorus. Also distracting are the “woah woah woah” and "oh oh oh" additions to the lyrics on tracks like “Promise Me” and “Eucharist”. “Promise Me” is one of the best tracks on the album however with some typical, but catchy guitar riffs and rhythms. “Eucharist” is also one of the better tracks as the vocals are sung in a lower octave and are a little rougher in the beginning. It fits and sounds pretty good, but 45 seconds later high pitched harmony resumes.
Also a hindrance, throughout the album the lyrics are sappy and predictable. Lines like “What can I even say when everyone seems so cliché” and “Woah woah woah woah don’t crumble like Paper Mache” and “Here’s your ticket and front row seat to the matinee” don’t strike me at all. But the simple lyrical rhythms and topics may appeal to a younger audience.
The vocals styles do work with the musical foundation on tracks like "Taste of Ashes”, featuring a screaming duet between Brown and Hatebreed front man Jamey Jasta, and “Yesterday’s Gone”, an effective acoustic track full of singing. Overall, the instrumentation on the album is heavy rock and can be enjoyable, but there are some annoyances - mainly the guitar work during song interludes which tends to not be value added. During a break from the vocals in “Never See the Day” is an annoying note played over and over on the guitar for what seems like an eternity.
My thoughts on Straight Line Stitch are mostly vocal oriented, but the vocals seem to be the focus throughout the album. Women add value to the metal world and can definitely rock with the best of them in a manner that fits the musical style. But for it to be most effective I think the vocals need to be built around the heavy music rather than the other way around. The way When Skies Wash Ashore is mixed and produced it is clear that the vocals were meant to be most prominent. Brown is a good singer, but when she is not screaming she just does not fit the musical style.