*Sigh*- the things I do as a CD reviewer. Man, you guys are gonna rip me a new one…

First off, I was in Hot Topic (I know, I know) and this was on the speakers, and asked the tattooed young scenster behind the desk if it was In This Moment, and she said no, it was a band called Eyes Set To Kill. So I left the store, but I’ll be damned of the female fronted with occasional screams form of alt rock/screamo, didn’t stick in my head.

Secondly, Lo and behold, a few days later, I get the CD in the mail for review from one of my (unamed) PR folks and I’ll be damned if I’m actually really enjoying it.

Go ahead; giggle, snicker, make fun, call me girly names. I can take it. But by Grabthar, if we can review the likes of The Gathering , Nightwish, Into Eternity and such, I don’t see why I can’t come out of the musical closet and express my like for this CD.

The five piece Arizona act and myspace sensation is somewhat unique in that the band consists of sisters vocalist/guitarist Alexia Rodriguez and bassist Anissa Rodriguez (the previous lineup even had another female singer) and a couple of effeminate dudes, one of which screams in typical emo/screamo fashion. The thing is, even without Brandon Anderson’s high pitched shrieking, I would have still enjoyed this record as A) Alexia Rodriguez has a fine voice and B) The actual songs are pretty solid delivering some driving, melodic riffs flocked with the odd synth line.

Like In This Moment, Eyes Set To Kill are certainly have some to the Killswitch Engage crowd, but not so forcibly, but also will appeal to less artsy fartsy, my vagina’s crying and pretentious Evanescence fans well as fans of Thursday and such. The end result is just an enjoyable, catchy album of commercial, alt rock with a bit of an screamo/metalcore edge as the sing to scream ratio is about 65/35 and the album’s more mainstream songs have hardly, if any screaming. “Song 2”, “Young Blood Spills Tonight” (the track I heard in Hot Topic), “Where We Started” (with a stupidly catchy sing along vocal line at 3:20), “Only Holding On” and arpeggio filled closer “Behind These Eyes”, are highlights, as is radio ready ballad “Give You My All”, all show the band’s grasp for modern teenage, angst fueled, I hate the world and my parents emo dynamics, but also a knack for those ‘hum along when you don’t know it moments’ that grabbed me.

I doubt hardly anyone here would agree with me or dare to admit liking this record, so I’ll make sure my next review is something brutal or grim just for you guys. I’m off to the mall to get my nails done….

[Visit the band's website]

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