Skyliner - Outsiders (2014)^{Release ID: 39068}

Skyliner is a band who has all the usual hallmarks of a progressive power metal band that are utterly generic and forgettable. The early '10s were not a good time to be a power or a prog band, and both usually meant your album was going to be right at the center of generic and forgettable. Somehow Skyliner makes this work for them.

It's actually quite interesting. There aren't many interesting riffs, the guitars are more there because they have to be there; Because of this solos are often seem disconnected from the main meat of the song. The bassist might as well not be playing 95% of the time, an improvement over some. Almost no distinct melodies or sounds. They make up for this almost entirely on structure and flow, somehow despite all this it actually sounds pretty good.

Vocalist/guitarist Jake Becker has a voice akin to Johnny Indovina of Human Drama, but uses it in very different ways. Bit, moody, high-pitched for a man with a wide range, not necessarily of pitch, more of emotion. The resemblence of Indovina's mannerisms are too close at times to be a coincidence. It's an imitation, but an imitation of a master is still pretty good.

As it stands, a pretty good album, and with a little work, much more than that.