I See Stars - 'THE WHEEL' - Album Review

Lighthouse Music
2 days ago
3 min read

BACKGROUND. The early 2010s were beyond wild for the wider alternative scene, legendary stories about the period still floating around. The rise of the metalcore genre in all its colourful variations, the bizarre electronicore experimentation and sweaty rapcore swagger, the peak of the Warped Tour era, the Punk Goes Pop compilation guilty pleasure, the unstable social media landscape chaning the music industry on a daily basis...It really was a survival of the fittest for those most likely to adapt and embrace the mayhem, ultimately becoming the heavyhitters of today. Somewhere in that loud crowd were I See Stars, at one point considered the hottest kids around the block, before almost getting lost in the noise and turning into one of the many wasted talents, now triumphantly returning in style with their slick new album THE WHEEL.

BAND. I See Stars began making noise all the way back in 2006, the very same year that saw the establishment of Sumerian Records, the label that now boasts some of the biggest names at the wider alternative scene, including the Michigan boys whom they have supported since day one. Their first three albums sprung in short succession between 2009 and 2012 as a captivating parade of pop-punk, easycore, and softer "scene"-core tropes which pushed them into everyone's must-watch list, and all that before the real electronicore classic New Demons premiered in 2013 with the iconic 'Murder Mitten' and 'Ten Thousand Feet'. And just like that, barely making it over their commercial succes with Treehouse (2016), I See Stars kind of vanished...until their just as sudden return and the start of an exciting new chapter which might just be their most authentic to date.

ALBUM. THE WHEEL is smooth, sexy, polished, and above all, it is more deliberate and composed than we have ever seen I See Stars before. Nearly ten years since their latest full studio offering, the band seems focused and mature, producing their truly concise and purposeful latest record, but without losing that youthful spark and playful charm that made them so alluring nearly two decades ago. The LP is a proper vibe from start to finish, maintaining their signature sound for nearly an hour but avoiding boring repetitions or genre pitfalls with ease. It is as predictably electrifying and captivating for I See Stars, as is unpredictably fresh and relevant for 2025.

SONGS. A clever spin and the album's title track 'THE WHEEL' opens the show with a tantilising guitar tease and a subtle nod to Korn's 'Blind' before erupting into a bouncy pit-starting festival pleaser. With the heat turned on, the seductive 'Eliminator' and 'D4MAGE DONE' keep the temperature rising for what could be the finest record opening triad this year that sets the bar a bit too high for the remaining tracks. Some do manage to maintain the charge, most notably 'are we 3ven', 'drift' and 'Split', others like 'Float', 'Anomaly' and 'Lost It' leaning towards calmer progressions, whilst 'carry on for you' and 'Afterdark' fit right into mainstream radiowaves. Take them all as a whole and THE WHEEL becomes a story worth telling and a journey worth taking, wrapped perfectly with 'Curtain Calls'.

FUTURE. It is hard to imagine I See Stars going forward as productively as they did back in the 2010s but then again Devin Oliver sounds (and looks) just the same as he did back on those glorious origin days. The band has managed to preserve both their spirit and charisma, with their musicanship and sound aging like fine. Against all doubts and criticism, the likes of Underoath and The Devil Wears Prada, to name a few, have been consistently dropping their best material in ages, staying ever so original and relevant so this might just be the case foe I See Stars too. And judging by THE WHEEL, I sure hope so.