The Skyline Surrender

Denver has no shortage of young, hungry metalcore bands. The Skyline Surrender isn't any less ambitious than the rest — but its debut EP, This Is Character, shows that the quartet has more than just high hopes. The disc draw equally from the metallic undertow of Darkest Hour and the anthemic swell of Underoath, anchored in a solid songcraft that balances atmosphere and sheer force. And when the group drops into the inevitable breakdowns — be they diabolically brutal or angelically harmonized — the result feels dramatic and dynamic rather than rote. As a taste of things to come, Character shows that the Skyline Surrender already has a passion and maturity that takes most bands years to develop. Where the act goes from here is anyone's guess — but it's highly doubtful they'll be going there quietly.