Sleepwave Doesn't Layer On Electronic Elements Enough for 'Broken Compass' to Escape Underoath Comparisons

Society always celebrates the records that top the Billboard 200 album chart. Back of The Billboards is a Music Times weekly segment that looks at the opposite end: the new record that finished closest to the back of the Billboard 200 for the previous week. We hope to give a fighting chance to the bands you haven't heard of.

Week of 09/26/2014
WHO: Sleepwave
WHAT: Broken Compass
SPOT: 194

Dragging electronics into metal isn't a new idea but, interestingly enough considering the current musical landscape, fewer bands do it than we would have expected at this point. Spencer Chamberlain, best know as frontman for metalcore band Underoath, opted to take a stab at the subject two years post his prior act breaking up.

We're glad that Sleepwave gets to be its own thing versus Underoath itself trying its hand at electronica and losing the rock identity in the process, a la one Coldplay. Still, Sleepwave is essentially just Underoath shook up. Stephen Bowman and Chamberlain share responsibility for programming and guitar work, but the after ultimately eats the former up. Worse yet (for the sake of the new sound) are Chamberlain's vocals. His yells have mellowed a bit (barely) from his former band but the new act still emphasizes his voice with volume. Between that and the guitars, listeners have to actively seek out the new elements.

The common instrumentation drops out at points, such as early during "Disgusted: Disguised," but we have to wait until the tenth track, "Through The Looking Glass," to really hear something distinctly Sleepwave.

If you want to do something "electro-metal" or industrial metal or whatever the kids are calling it these days, the electronic part really needs to shine through, a la Enter Shikari or similar. Broken Compass doesn't seem to be pointing in that direction.