After Pure Noise Records signed Seattle's melodic hardcore quintet, To The Wind, they re-released their 2012 EP, No More Than This, before having the band hit the studio to record their debut full-length record. Empty Eyes hits shelves on May 7th and promises to put this band on the map. Admittedly, the band isn't trying anything new or groundbreaking on this record. If you follow the genre you'll recognize many themes from Empty Eyes; the guttural ferocity, the intense pace, and the jaw-shaking breakdowns are all present and accounted for. Empty Eyes, however, is a long stride from their EP; it's more polished, more determined, and flat-out better.
This album thankfully avoids the pitfall of many hardcore projects as it never becomes repetitive. Each song is distinct in its own way. The tempo might fluctuate, the lyrics take on different tones, and sometimes the vocals have their own ebb and flow, from menacing growls to hopeful yells and everything in between. “Balance” does well to get your feet wet, but the first standout is “Halfhearted”. Its driving pace is only complemented by one of To The Wind's signature headbanging parts. If the track turns your bedroom into a gaping mosh pit, nobody is going to blame you. The fifth track, “Hollow”, provides a nice enough bridge to the next song, and one of my favorites on the record, “New Note”. I'm a fan of this song particularly because of the rolling bass drum paired with an ominous bass line. Shouts imploring you to “open your fucking eyes” round out the two-and-a-half minute song, marking the halfway point of the album. The latter half of Empty Eyes is led by two bangers in “Counterfeit” and “Truth & Consequence”. The former is the longest track on the record and I couldn't be happier about that. Everything clicks on “Counterfeit”, with the pulsing groan of guitars digging deep during the heavy parts, of which there are plenty. Not to be outdone, “Truth..” follows it up with an equally heavy, angst-y track that will rattle its fair share of speakers. All the aforementioned tracks form the pillars which support this album. Different in their own way, they all combine to shape Empty Eyes into what it ultimately is; a heavy, passionate record that is as polished and mature as it is blood-boiling.
As I said before, To The Wind isn't knocking down any musical barriers or starting their own genre. They are simply putting their best foot forward and have assembled a hardcore album I'll be jammin' for quite a while. All people should look for in a sophomore release is progress, fans should be able to tell which of the records came first and which one came after, and this is a great example of a band understanding this and releasing an album they can be proud of. I look forward to seeing To The Wind in more articles, more videos, more towns, and more stages. And after one spin, Empty Eyes makes it clear that a To The Wind show is not one you want to miss.
Tracklist:
1. Balance
2. Without Warning
3. Halfhearted
4. Hollow
5. New Note
6. Collapse
7. Counterfeit
8. Truth & Consequence
9. Downpour
10. Solitary
RIYL: The Ghost Inside, Betrayal, Counterparts
Rating:
Written by Felipe Garcia
