Combining classic metalcore with a modern edge, Kill The Lights make a bold statement on hard rock’s future with their full-length debut, The Sinner.
Supergroups are held to higher standards than most and Kill The Lights is no exception. Uniting original Bullet For My Valentine co-founder Michael “Moose” Thomas [drums] with Throw The Fight frontman James Clark [vocals], Jordan Whelan of Still Remains [guitar], and Travis Montgomery of Threat Signal [guitar], the band is the creation of people known for consistently raising the bar in the world of metal. Giving the world a mediocre release, or even one that is considered “just okay,” is not an option. If Kill The Lights is going to release something, it has to be great.
“We all loved the idea of having some of those throwback elements with a fresh sound,” exclaims James. “We aimed for something classic either a 15-year-old or 50-year-old could enjoy. It came out naturally by virtue of us working together. It’s not contrived. We give reverence to our influences, but Kill The Lights is its own entity.”
He’s not wrong. While many artists stretch themselves too thin by attempting to appeal to a wide demographic, Kill The Lights overcome generational gaps with ease. Critics will say that is because rock and metal haven’t evolved as much as other music areas in recent decades, but that isn’t true. Today’s young metal acts are more aggressive, brash, and far more reliant on digital trickery than yesteryear artists. The goals remain the same, but the approach has changed, and The Sinner finds a way to bring that evolution full circle in a manner that is equal parts heavy and cathartic. It’s undeniably intense, yes, but there is a lot of heart as well.
But it’s unclear if their work in other groups is responsible for Kill The Lights sound as much as the experiences the members’ previous bands made possible. Their musical precision is never up for debate, but that would be true whether or not the record or group existed. The album’s real magic is in the way it channels the human condition into rallying cries for people from multiple walks of life and generations without submitting to genre tropes or delivering a scattershot release. The album builds from the opening soundbite that calls for the burial of demons and reclaiming life, to the rapturous cry for strength to persevere the throes of existence on “Unmoved,” The Sinner is the medicine we need to survive the hell that is 2020.
Kill The Lights did what they set out to accomplish with The Sinner. Across eleven tracks, the rock veterans display a firm grasp on their genre while sharing songs of hope and retaliation that are easily accessible for metal fans of all ages. It’s the kind of album that the community needs right now, and it points to a bright future for the group in the years to come.
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