Enter Shikari
by Grant Moser
November 2007
The band claims they’ll leave the “pigeonholing to journalists,” but somehow manage to mention the term “trancecore” multiple times in their release for Take to the Skies. The same sort of thinking goes for their other claims: “Take the unbeaten track and follow their instincts,” and “fusing…genres and styles together to form their own sound.” Unfortunately, their instincts and their own sound are reminiscent of Stabbing Westward or Evanescence mixed with a heavy dose of spaced-out synths à la Yes in their heyday. While the “metal” parts of their songs are passable—and the theory of mixing rave with metal sounds interesting—these guys just can’t get it to work in practice. And they do it for fifty-two minutes. As an added bonus, when they list their members and what they play, several are credited with “vox” or “backing vox.” Are they serious with that? If this band is as “big” as they claim to be, the kids aren’t alright.