Ahhh, the sweet, soothing sounds of screamo. One of the genre’s more “scream-happy” bands of the early 21st century was Destroy the Runner, as evidenced by the group’s debut, 2006′s Saints. But on its sophomore effort, 2008′s I, Lucifer, the band has pulled the reins in a bit on all the shrieking. And there’s an obvious reason why this shift has occurred — singer Kyle Setter has been given the old heave-ho, and has been replaced by new guy Chad Ackerman, who apparently favors using his natural singing voice over, well, you know. However, it’s not as if I, Lucifer is all melody and harmony, as evidenced by the over the top album opener, “Crumbs for the Murder.” But immediately thereafter, you get a taste of the “new look” Destroy the Runner, a group that equally embraces tricky prog music and good old-fashioned melodic singing, as evidenced by such tracks as “Isabella’s” and “A Bag of Marbles.” While not exactly the most original sound in all of rock at the moment, I, Lucifer sees Destroy the Runner not relying so much on old habits, and in a few years, the album may be looked upon as a stepping stone toward their own original voice. – Greg Prato
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