Scary Kids Scaring Kids

Item: The City Sleeps in Flames
Author: John Durkee

The City Sleeps in Flames

(2005)

Reviewed by John Durkee

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Spotify YouTube Music

Label Immortal RecordsDecapolisJuly 2005

emo post-hardcore

To get it out of the way, yes, Scary Kids Scaring Kids (SKSK) does have the dumbest name in all of rock n roll.

SKSK hails from Gilbert, Arizona, released the independent After Dark EP, and since has signed to Immortal records; The City Sleeps in Flames is their first release for this label.

The City Sleeps in Flames is full of emo cliches and "metal" riffs that are derivative. There are a few bright spots on the album, the title track and "The Only Medicine" which have catchy choruses as well as "The Only Medicine" having a great guitar solo. These two songs are not good enough to save the other eight songs from mediocrity. The biggest problem with the album is the ridiculous amount of faux angst found in the lyrics. I admit that I do not know anyone in the band, but I find it hard to believe that anyone could sing all these songs with sincerity. It's just preposterous. By the time I got to track ten ("Faith in the Knife") I was entirely sick of the "feel sorry for me cause I'm the only one in the world who's experienced suicide or had a broken heart blah blah blah."

Although SKSK is mimicking a lot of more capable bands like Emery or The Receiving End of Sirens, they still manage to have a better sound than other mediocre bands in the genre (Senses Fail, Hawthorne Heights), but at the same time that's not saying a lot.

This album is draining and it's not even that long. The biggest problem is the lack of transition as virtually all the songs blend together. The screamed vocals are far more enjoyable than the sung parts that verge towards whining at many moments.

Overall, if you're a fan of the mall emo craze and love all the bands at the Warped Tour, pick this up while you're there and see this band. If the idea of doing such a thing sickens you, this isn't for you. One could do a lot worse than buying this release, but one could certainly do a lot better too.

1.5/4