finger eleven have reconstructed themselves on this effort, advancing their sound with ethereal harmonics and thickening the song structures with focused intensity. A neutral ground between emo and nu metal, the band tears through each song with a downpour of emotion, soaking the grinding sludgy riffs and reckless percussion. Essentially true to the overall sound the bands debut album "Tip" pioneered, the feel of this effort seems a bit more extravagant and builds off the ground previously tread. Passionate wails are backed with bite this time, as vocals strike out with violent choruses and stream off into softened verses. Intense and pained, there's a dense dynamic tonal range implemented on this album, and from the almost playful feel of "My Carousel" to the grippingly tormented "Drag You Down", its obvious that band vocalist Scott Anderson has really beefed up his repertoire. Guitars are prompt and jut out riffs with anger and intelligence. The blending of both guitarists work is extremely prevalent as a clean toned guitar layered with effects is usually called in to fortify the others restrained and forceful riffs. Some spiraling tones are achieved and a lot of attention is placed on ambiance here, which can at times almost create a vacuum effect, sucking the listener into the unknown. Bass is downtuned to a modest degree and is given free reign with growling riffs shoving the songs forward while also becoming the most reliable part of the bands creations. Not necessarily experimental, the technique displayed here is empowered with driving grooves that set the pace while moody buildups and progressions indulge themselves in consistent fills. Drums are tuned with an almost dull thud that batters out snare reliant rhythms while crisp highhat and cymbal work accentuate the sound. A very open approach is taken, leaving an uncommon amount of space and breathing time between hits, giving the percussive elements an aura of mystery and stringing the listener along. The music laid down here is definitely an evolution for the band in some regards, with the enlistment of a few electronic elements, backwards guitar solo's and an overall more atmospheric aesthetic full of effects and alien sounds in place, the songs achieve a veritable sonic overload for the listener, but sadly even though their inclusion adds a rich dimension, it seems their addition to the sound has come with a few costs. One thing that this album arguably lacks is the spontaneous breakdowns and twists and turns which made their first album "Tip" so enjoyable. The material on this disc is by no means static and does contain some climatic curves, but is a bit anemic in structure shifts when compared to the songs the band has created before, and as such seemingly robs them of the element of surprise. On the positive side though, they've kicked open the faucet of aggression to a flooding capacity, filling the CD with darkened heavy material that reflects an almost bastardized evil version of anything they have done to date, adding distinct punch and vigor. Mature musicianmanship and compacted methodical songs that feel a bit formulaic are dished out by the pound on this CD and the mildly tame direction they take can somewhat dilute the progression. But the band hasn't slacked off or drastically changed their sound, instead this record feels more serious and scaled down, its smotheringly moody and features a blackened aggression that taps into the extremes of the human psyche, although one may begin to wonder if the artistic and creative sound that litters this album was worth the sacrifice of the boldly colorful structures that once took more precedence in their creations. finger eleven shoot for sturdy foundations and decorative ideals on this album, providing a feast of aural textures and straight forward songs with epic sensibilities, but after a few listens its hard not to feel a bit disenchanted with frills over substance path taken. "The Greyest Of Blue Skies" is by no means a disappointment and is in fact a worthy addition to anyone's collection, but once the newly enhanced vibrant resonance is peeled back, its hard to not feel that little has changed.
(4 / 5)