Neur-Isis Chicagoans Angel Eyes follow up their debut Something to Do With Death with a 27-minute EP entitled …And for a Roof a Sky Full of Stars that is formulaic, yet still enjoyable for what it is. However, due to the deluge of Neur-Isis-inspired albums seen in recent years, I can’t recommend purchasing this EP if your collection is filled with other releases of the same persuasion.

Thankfully, instead of the long-ass song titles found on the full-length, …And Justice for All, er, …And for a Roof a Sky Full of Stars simplifies matters by leaving both tracks untitled. The first, at nearly 17 minutes, hits the ground crawling, and perhaps as expected, takes its time drifting until the buildup leads to the climax at 7:27 when the strained screams hit. Several moments reminded me of instrumentalists Red Sparowes – most of those in response to the guitar wails, which add tension and suspense to an otherwise ordinary soundscape. The second, at approximately 10 minutes, gets right to the point, offering drifting sections that are reminiscent of Isis, Tides, et al., prior to projecting vocal-strewn passages. The gang shouts, even though they’re screams, feel out of place in this recording, and that could be because it’s a characteristic usually associated with straight-up hardcore and deathcore. In tune with its forerunner and the subgenre as a whole, however, this track also traverses peaks and valleys alike.

The downfall of Angel Eyes is that they’re good, but fail to stand out from the rest of the Neur-Isis pack. Sure, …And Oceans, I mean, …And for a Roof a Sky Full of Stars has its moments, yet not enough to warrant more than a second look. If, like me, your music library contains numerous records of this nature, you just have to start drawing the line somewhere.