Earthius – Slave to the Screen
‘Slave to the Screen’ starts with a little cinematic intro, then it arrives: warm, electric guitars slowly build into it, full of a melodic-rock sensation that takes me straight back to the 90s. The synthesizers bring a great deal of atmosphere and give the song a more rounded ‘rock ballad’ feel, almost like a soundtrack. When the vocals finally kick in the song relaxes into them beautifully, giving it space and allowing that tension to build. The song comes alive in the chorus when the sound explodes into action, bringing everything together. My favourite aspect of the guitars is the fact that they are really the thing that I enjoy most on here. They have the depth and warmth that bring real character to this piece, and the guitar solo work is expressive but also fits smoothly into the arrangement rather than coming across as being added simply for the purpose of showing off. The overall approach to the whole thing is quite nostalgic, and the guitars and synths work well together in this respect. It has that melodic 90s rock sort of vibe to it but a little more muted and atmospheric in comparison. There’s no denying that the AI-based production has certain problems, particularly in the way that the high-end frequencies have been managed in a way that can sometimes make it a little bit too bright or artificial sounding. However, I don’t think that really matters in this situation as the musical idea is generally strong enough to get away with it. The melody is good, the build-up pulls you in, and the guitars add the needed warmth to it all. “Slave to the Screen” is a melodic and atmospheric rock ballad that relies more on feel and melody rather than excessive complexity, and it is the guitar work that makes it really stand out.
