Just wow! That was my first thought on hearing Eyes Set to Kill’s fifth album Masks (Century Media Records). Masks is night and day away from their previous work, while still keeping a familiar tone throughout. It’s by far the heaviest and thrashiest album by the band to date. There are some breakdowns, some blasting, and everything in between on here. This is their best sounding album too, with Steve Evetts having produced a sonic masterpiece. Now, on to the songs!

From the eerie to brutal intro of ‘Masks’ you get a the feeling this isn’t the same band you thought you knew. Everything about the band is just better and their growth is impressive. Whether they’re singing together or against each other; Alexia Rodriguez and Cisko Miranda’s vocal styles compliment each other. It’s evident on tracks like ‘Nothing Left to Say’ and ‘The Lost and Forgotten’ . On ‘Surface’ Alexia vocals sound so gritty and angelic, you feel the passion in her words. The standout track overall is ‘True Colors’. Cisko sounds like a starving animal, waiting to feed. Meanwhile Alexias’ guitar work is peppered with a melodic thrash tint with a little NYHC thrown in for good measure. Her solo just sends this song over the top for me.

Anissa Rodriguez has a cutting low end that runs through so effortlessly. She has a dirtiness to her playing as heard on ‘Where I Want To Be’ and ‘Secrets Between’ reminds me of early David Ellefson and John Outcalt. ‘Little Lair’ and ‘The New Plague’ just shows Caleb Clifton is just a powerhouse of a drummer. He’s very versatile and has a hell of a groove that fits perfectly with Anissa. The drums sound so warm and rich it adds an extra layer to an already impressive album. It mellows only slightly with ‘Haze’ and brings it home with the juggernaut of ‘The Forbidden Line’. This band has changed a lot and its a very organic sounding change.

9/10

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Omar Cordy