2000: In Search of the Endless Sky

fleshwater

fleshwater is back with their sophomore full-length, 2000: In Search of the Endless Sky. I was curious to check this out because I thought their debut was a strong 90s nu-metal and alternative metal throwback. Plus the two teaser singles, Jetpack and Last Escape, rocked pretty hard right out of the gate. Listening to more of the record, I picked up on more things that I thought the band improved on in the interim. For one, Marisa Shirar is front and centre on the vocal front, and I don't remember her sounding this powerful. The belting and the range was truly impressive; made me feel like a Hayley Williams if she had indulged a little more in her Deftones influence. I also loved the drumming on this record. In place of Matt Wood, David Haik drums like he has something to prove. His grooves are incredibly energetic and the perfect amount of busy; just enough to make his presence known while not making the song all about him. In general, the band sounds great thanks to some excellent, punchy, but not overly processed production, an admirable feat considering the band is credited for having that responsibility.

While the record sounds good, and I can certainly enjoy it while it is on, the songwriting is where it falls apart for me. Listening to this record, it's clear that the band has an abundance of ideas as most songs are jam packed with quickly fleeting, disjointed moments. As a result, I don't find myself strongly hooked by most of the material. If the band curated a little more, implemented more repetition, or spent a little more energy making sure their best ideas really pop with more fine details, then I could see the band's future material being fairly strong. Hardcore fans of the this specific lane of rock will probably enjoy the hell out of this, but I'm not convinced it can be deemed essential in an already stacked year for the genre.