“Film Noir” by Brighter Than a Thousand Suns

Brighter Than a Thousand Suns’ earliest releases, like 2010’s The Demon Haunted World and 2011’s Survival Machines, were squarely in the realm of screamo and metalcore. Over the years, though, the North Carolina band has steadily adopted an increasingly synth-oriented sound. Indeed, if all you had to go on was this year’s Film Noir EP, which is packed with glossy synth-pop à la Information Society, then you’d probably never guess that Angelika and Randy Roswell cut their teeth on chugging riffs and throat-wrenching screams.

It’s hard for me to pick a favorite from the EP’s four songs, but I typically lean towards the title track, which piles on layers of sleek programming that are further accented by Randy’s fiery, ’80s-tastic riffs and Angelika’s coquettish vocals. Which, again, are a far cry from the riffs and screams of their earlier releases. The band’s intensity and conviction remain unchanged, however. Indeed, the Roswells sound like they’ve been perfecting and performing this style of music for their entire career.