REVIEW: I See Stars - THE WHEEL

Can you imagine having to wait almost a decade for your favourite band to release an album? That's exactly what I SEE STARS fans have had to do, but that wait has finally come to an end! After taking years to put together an album before covid hit, the band decided to use the time they had due to the pandemic to scrap what they had made. Starting again to make something that really lives up to their expectations and artistic vision. The album has 14 tracks that combine genres like metalcore, electronicore, glitchcore, alt rock and pop, some sticking in their lane and others mixing them all into one. 

We start off with a 30 second intro called Spin It, presenting us with the familiar sound of a spinning carnival wheel, which of course leads us straight into the title track of the album, THE WHEEL. This song acts as an appetiser of sorts, introducing us to what the album really tastes like - in just two minutes it brings a range of distortion, synths, breakdowns and tempo changes, never staying the same for too long. Eliminator opens with a deep, resonant bassline that fills your ears before lead vocalist DEVIN brings in low yearning vocals, slowly building with the music before dropping. Influences come from all directions in this song, DEVIN's vocals resembling that of 90s punk and metal in some places, while other parts are smooth and buttery. The track drops into a metalcore chorus bringing together old and new sounds, elements of electronic and glitchcore all colliding brutally. The last 30 seconds of the track make you think the song is over, before pummelling the listener with one last instrumental breakdown. 

D4MAGE DONE brings out a more traditional metalcore side of the band, a much grander sound with melancholy tones. DEVIN once again flaunts his vocals, stretching all the way up to an F5 with ease before releasing a critical scream for the drop. The track is well rounded and full sounding, accompanied by constant drum fills that smooth out the track making every beat hit just right. The next number brings a much more spacious feel that reflects its name FLOAT, in company with a brain shaking electronic bassline. The lyrics explore the feeling of not belonging and not wanting to move, hence the name. The melody is addictive and pulls at the heartstrings as it introduces a low piano at the halfway mark, building into a distorted electronicore drop seasoned with desperate screams. 

Drift echoes back the anger in the opening tracks with layered vocals and a drum and bass beat then switching to a bass drum infused, hardcore beat. The recurring deep synth bass is brought back with screeching and glitching sound effects; the track is short and sharp, a packed punch in the middle of the album. are we 3ven immediately starts echoing its title as the vocals open the melody smoothly. The majority of the track is lowered a level from the rest of the album so far, but is still hard hitting and metal to its core. The bridge introduces an enchanting vocal line, piling its layers on until it finally comes crashing down. The close out reintroduces those electronic, glitching sounds from earlier tracks, bringing it full circle to give the listener a reminder of the albums purpose. 

The next track runs more melancholic than its previous - Flood Light has a specious feel to it, emphasised with synths and reverbed vocals. DEVIN opts to go completely melodic for this track, keeping the same vocal tone throughout, making the chorus extremely catchy and easy to follow. This track might be one that goes underrated during the release but it's a very solid number, something that even those that aren't huge metal fans could become addicted to. carry on for you instantly leans into the electronic elements with a drum and bass beat and distorted backing vocals. It's once again more sombre, almost lo-fi in some elements, the vocals low and effortless. The track offers another side unseen in the rest of the album, while still at its core portraying the band's colours. In its last minute it transforms into something even more grand, before echoing out without a huge climax that still remains satisfying.

SPLIT brings back the ripping guitars and traditional rock drum tones with a thunderous bass to accompany it. The vocals descend suspensefully as DEVIN drags out his words,, before dropping into the chorus screaming “split, split, split it up” - it's easy to imagine what this might encourage a live crowd to do. The last minute of the track provides the best breakdown of the album, with a built up that distorts the senses crashing into a half time beat and bringing back those chanting lyrics, this is a must have at their live shows, the carnage that this track would cause would be momentous. The next track collaborates with an artist that many I SEE STARS fans will be familiar with in PALAYE ROYALE - having supported the band multiple times, it is very possible that their first exposure to the band was through this artist. Lost It combines their musical styles as both DEVIN and REMINGTON combine their vocal tones, singing one verse each before blending together for the last half, going back and forth and mixing DEVIN's effortless high tone and REMINGTON's low raspy growls complimenting each other. The song itself has a feeling of hope to it, encouraging and supporting fans from afar - this has everything it takes to be a fan favourite.

Afterdark displays a more laid back vibe, with elements of alt rock and pop melding into one. Starting with an acoustic guitar and building into a classic rock, leading with synths and incorporating a basic piano in parts, the bass building texture slowly and adding what feel like improvised guitar riffs from BRENT ALLEN. Adding and building textures to make no two parts of the song the same, with a mellow ending that fizzles out into thin air. The second to last track Anomaly was released as a single way back in 2023 and has had its time in the spotlight ,with it being one of their biggest tracks, but it is easy to see why it was added to this album. It melds beautifully with the tones found in the rest of their album, the theme of feeling different and being lost while being a metalcore banger. If you were lucky enough like us to catch their show in London earlier this year, this song caught some of the loudest reactions in their set - it's now one of their defining tracks as an artist and deserves its spot on their first album in nine years.

Curtain Call finally brings the album to its desolate end, rolling all 14 tracks into one as it explores the uncertainty of life in all its aspects. The song is longing and melancholic, with atmospheric instrumentals and layers of revered and even choirs adding to the vocals. The band describes this song as “... almost like the wheel spinning in song form - it keeps turning round and is just racing through time and emotions.”

All in all, this album has been more than worth the wait, the band having been in the process of making one album and completely scrapping it to put together a real success story of an album. It both hides and showcases the bands struggles and their growth in these last nine years, whilst having a musical mastery that feels powerful, mature, and very listenable. THE WHEEL is a masterclass in making a return.

Score: 10/10

THE WHEEL was released on September 12th 2025.

Words: Amy Smyth

Photos: I See Stars