Album: Youmeatsix – Sinners Never Sleep

YoumeatSix
Sinners Never Sleep
Virgin Records

3.5 out of 5

Youmeatsix are one of the fastest rising British bands of recent years; a fact seemingly confirmed by their scooping up of Best British Band at the Kerrang! Awards earlier this year, beating 3 time winners Bullet for my Valentine. Not allowing themselves to settle, the band has stated in many interviews that Sinners Never Sleep will be much heavier than the previous two albums, Hold Me Down and Take Off Your Colours.

To gain a heavier sound, Youmeatsix have collaborated with metalcore vocalists Winston McCall of Parkway Drive and Ollie Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon. While McCall’s screams alone would be perfect on ‘Time is Money’, alongside Josh Franceschi’s they sound like two songs that don’t gel together. Unfortunately, the same is true of ‘Bite My Tongue’ featuring Sykes.

Youmeatsix have done softer, melodic songs really well on all their previous albums with ‘Always Attract’ and ‘Fireworks’ and this continues on Sinners Never Sleep. Franceschi’s voice is much more fitting to these songs with a particular highlight on the album being ‘Crash’.

The songs on the album might not be the most complex, but somehow the majority of the songs are simply catchy. ‘Loverboy’ is reminiscent of songs like ‘Save It for the Bedroom’ and ‘If I Were In Your Shoes’ from Take Off Your Colours with simplistic but memorable lyrics.

Overall, the album is decent and shows that Youmeatsix are deserving of their hype as a rising British talent. However, the attempt to create a heavier album in comparison to their previous releases might leave a sour taste in some fans mouths and their clean-cut image is unlikely to appeal to metal fans. You have to give it to them; they tried to do something different and add a slight twist on their music but sadly it may have backfired.