The debut from South Carolina’s Islander, Violence & Destruction confirmed in 2014 the potential glimpsed on their early EPs. The band plays a groovy, melodic nu metal propped up by hard rock riffs and the versatile voice of Mikey Carvajal, moving between spoken word, screams and catchy hooks. The thick, warm production owes plenty to the American metal school of the 2000s.
The album lands squarely at its best, driven by an overt spirituality and a wish to unite rather than to assault. It occasionally lacks that extra jolt of personality to fully escape its influences, yet the whole thing stays solid, sincere and effective. A promising debut that put Islander firmly on the map.
