Dying Victims Productions - 2024
8/10
Several years after releasing one of the many albums that carried me through the hopeless year that was 2020, Freeways would come back to show that they weren't a once-and-done act. The Canadians' debut grounded them as a band that tampers within the line that is heavy metal and classic rock influence, with a cool identity that avoids anything too heavy. Dark Sky Sanctuary more or less takes on this exact same path, and some might argue that it's a little more metal oriented. After all, it's Metal Archives acceptable now, so it has to be, right?
Well, sort of. For starters, I wouldn't say that this disc got any heavier than what we had prior. The rhythms take on the same tone, slapping on similar scales in the minor keys, riffs themselves seem to still linger in that '70s-esque shape, and you really can't more cleanly produce what was already squeaky clean. The main change that I've found here is that the pacing feels a bit faster at times. Overall, it doesn't really boost the mood, however it certainly stands out in songs like "Give 'Em The Gears" that kick up the bass rumbles backed with a harder drum kick and overall aggressive delivery. For the most part, though, a lot of this energy is channeled into solos that bring forth a sharper edge on top of otherwise fairly steady rhythm sections. See "Can't Deny Destiny" or "Travelling Heart" for a whiff of what I mean.
Being yet another brief disc, I found this to be extremely digestible, however it may take a few listens to find what's truly unique outside of some songs being a tad more aggressive. From time to time the bass actually takes more precedence than the guitar, likely tying in with it having a heavier rumble in some tunes. Moreover, certain psychedelic elements seem a little more obvious, once again likely having to do with that fuzzy bass, as well as the wandering lead guitars that seem to go up in priority when paired with the galloping sections. Otherwise, I wouldn't expect anything too out of the ordinary.
This leaves Dark Sky Sanctuary feeling like a simple part-two of what has come prior. Make no mistake, this is certainly still packed with catchy choruses and a comforting aura, loading in harmonies one after another to compliment strong melodies. But when you open the gates with such a masterful debut like Freeways' first outing, it may be tough to leap forward from there. This is absolutely still worth picking up, considering its foundation comes from something super strong.
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