WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK OF SKYHARBOR?

We’ve been getting emails about India’s Skyharbor dating all the way back to May of last year so I figure it’s high time we post about ’em and let the MS readership weigh in.

MS reader Tim Meyer, who emails us pretty frequently about all things prog, said about the track “Catharsis” — which features vocals from ex-TesseracT singer Dan Tompkins and a guest solo from ex-Megadeth axeman / current Japanese Prime Minister Marty Friedman — that it’s “the best song” he’s heard all year. I gotta say, it’s pretty darn catchy. I like that Skyharbor don’t even bother trying to appear tough by inserting the requisite growled vocals at appropriately climactic moments and I like that the band focuses on the more atmospheric/ethereal parts of the prog metal sound that’s developed over the past few years. I admit, though, I’m growing pretty tired of hearing the downtuned Meshuggah rhythmic “djent” thing, and every time I hear a new band do it I silently groan. For that reason I much prefer “Maeva” of the two Skyharbor tracks that I’ve heard. Have a listen and see what you think:

So… what’s the verdict? Yay or nay?

Side note: what’s up with the exploding djent scene in India? Seems like two out of three bands we hear from India rock their 7 or 8-string guitars like Marty Friedman rocks Japan.

Skyharbor’s new album Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos will be out April 23rd via Basick Records in Europe and April 24th in the U.S. via Basick and Prosthetic.

-VN