Album Review: Antiskeptic - 'Stare Down The Ocean'

When bands reform, expectations aren't just raised, they're doubled. Any hunger that fans have for material is turned into starvation as they impatiently await a group's comeback. The weight of anticipation bears down on a bands shoulders and on Antiskeptic's 'Stare Down the Ocean', this weight can be felt throughout.

Yet what this Aussie rock outfit has done with their first album since reforming is turn the weight into the very thing that propels this album forward. From the opening bass line on 'The Kids Aren't Scared' to the very last note on 'Reach for the Sun', Antiskeptic have managed to give us all what we've been waiting for: a bloody good rock album.

Ten tracks long, the band doesn't tend to mess around. They get things done and they keep it busy. Antiskeptic get to the point in their songs, which is those damn catchy choruses that you can already see filling rooms across the country. The song that pulls this off the best is single 'When the Night Comes In'. Breaking into the silence with a punchy guitar riff, the song takes almost unprecedented turns as it transitions from hard hitting rock aesthetics to mellow pre-choruses and then uplifting and hook laden choruses. It goes for nearly five minutes but not once do you feel as if it's dragging on or repeats itself; there's always a certain sense of originality in every bar that keeps the spark alive throughout.

The title tracks lends itself to the more melancholic side of the equation as it almost drones along its way but it works well in its surrounding of the record. 'Play In Reverse' holds a certain sense of ambiance to it that will make it a highlight of the record instantly. It's big, it's powerful and it's memorable; like this entire record.

'Stare Down the Ocean' is living proof that expectations were made to be met. Antiskeptic have crafted a stand out album among the already cluttered Aussie rock scene. Every track is as memorable as its predecessor and just as captivating, which shows just why this band was desperately missed when they left us. But what matters is that they are back and they better than ever.

1. The Kids Aren't Scared 
2. Hey Dissident 
3. When the Night Comes In 
4. New Horizon 
5. I'll Follow 
6. Stare Down The Ocean 
7. Play In Reverse 
8. Empty Lungs 
9. Suffering In Silence 
10. Reach For The Sun