By Cathy Moore of Moore Rock Shots & Reviews
I’ve been following Burden of the Sky on Instagram for a while now. I’m not sure if it was because another one of my favorite bands Citizen Zero followed them. Or maybe because the drummer of The Dead Deads, Angela Lese (aka tamachick) who I think is absolutely amazing follows them. Or maybe it is because the artwork of the cover for their debut album, Cinis Ad Cinis, has the most badass image of a Rorschach style butterfly on it. Whatever lured me in – I’m glad it happened because I have definitely become a fan.
Burden of the Sky is an alternative metal/rock band based out of Bloomington, Illinois. Formed by guitarists Josh Appel and Bradford Shaw in 2010, the lineup was completed in March of 2015 with the addition of Brian Barry on vocals, Rick Streeter on drums, Dustin Tritsch on bass, and Michael Mahoney on keyboards. The completed lineup entered the studio immediately to begin work on their debut album, Cinis Ad Cinis, which was released on July 14 of this year.
The very first song “Blame My Creator” hooks you in with a dark and sweeping sound reminiscent of Skillet or Breaking Benjamin. It has a rich rhythm and compelling lyrics. It is a perfect song to introduce the world to the musicality of Burden of the Sky.
The second track, “Solace”, seems like the perfect choice for a single release from the album. It’s not too hard, but not too tame. It has an infectious beat and a style that would appeal to a wide variety of listeners. The lyrics are cool and people will want to sing along and will feel connected to the song and to the band.
“Starting Over” shows a little harder side of the band and introduces us to Barry’s cool and controlled hard rock growl. This might be my favorite song on the album because of the thundering drum moments from Streeter – which I love since I tend to gravitate toward the drummer. The lyrics of this song also grabbed my gut as they resonated the themes of strength and empowerment.
“Chasing You” showcases some really powerful vocal moments ranging from melodic to manic and “Save My Life” highlights more of the keyboards from Mahoney which added a dynamic dimension to this already alluring song.
The whole Cinis Ad Cinis album is full of really fantastic tracks with intriguing lyrics and a great blend of instrumentation. I found myself really entranced through all 12 tracks. Burden of the Sky clearly has a great chemistry and the formula for success.
Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.burdenofthesky.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BOTSband/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BURDENoftheSKY
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burden_of_the_sky/
