Review

For people who don't know Kylesa's music, you may want to sample the album before purchasing to ensure you'll adapt to the vocal styles used on To Walk A Middle Course. Current fans need not worry – the album’s musical integrity is very much prevalent. Call us crazy, but has the genre 'punk-metal' been invented yet? If not, we stand on record as being the first to mention it. Vocalists Corey Barhorst and Phillip Cope sound like they should be ranting in the background of an Anti-Flag album, yet somehow, the words are all set to metal riffs and a rock infused musical presentation that just ends up confusing you by the time "Crashing Slow" finishes off the album.

Do you furiously headbang and hold up your rock fists? Or should you don the Sex Pistols get-up and kick your feet around in an anti-government rebellious rage? We're just too conflicted to choose which isn't the best scenario to be stuck in. It's the vocal inconsistency that discredits To Walk A Middle Course in the worst way. Songs that are mostly instrumental like "Shatter The Clock" and "Phantoms" showcase the raw talent that Kylesa possess, but it's nearly impossible to screen out the vocals to enjoy the music underneath. This album would be much more enjoyable if they released a version that was strictly instrumental.

With that said, true Kylesa fans won't agree with the rating. To you, it's a great album that shows more growth than their 2002 self-titled release. But for everyone else out there To Walk A Middle Course is just too inconsistent and vocally perplexing to recommend as an album you should run out and buy. Unfortunately, it’s their unique style that causes a gunshot would in their own collective foot. All this making the growth of their fan base an uphill struggle.

Review by Jason Schleweis

2 out of 5