Travelers/Drifters is hard as fuck. Packing a punch to the ear drums, these guys prove that they still have it in them. The last we saw of them was when they played Extreme Thing in 2010, and since then they have all around matured. While keeping their screamy, heavy roots, they’re writing better licks, better beats, and better lyrics.
Vocalist Shea Carpenter has improved vocally as well. You can tell this guy has been practicing his ass off, and we dig the fact that he is singing more as well! His lyrics break the boundaries of most cookie monster vocal bands, actually writing about not just the emotional shit, but how to get through it. Alongside Carpenter are guitarists Jake Padilla and Donovan Delos Santos, who (unlike previous guitarists we had heard with these guys) keep on time with the vocals and drums, pushing their hooks in your face. All of this is pulled together by producer Patrick Crisci (formally of SicInside & Dreamscar), who puts the perfect blend of all of these musicians together. Crisci focuses on each member’s strengths in the blend of the music, which makes us wonder if they even possess any weakness.
If you’re a fan of bands like Bullet For My Valentine, Bring Me the Horizon, and The Color Morale, you will definitely dig these guys. Check them out on Reverb Nation and Facebook , and if you dig it as much as we do, then buy the EP and we’ll see you in the pit! 😉
~Stephy Hayward
Photos: Courtesy of and © A Fight At Daybreak- used with permission- all rights reserved