Islander

Evoking the emotive alt-metal pioneered by acts such as Deftones, Glassjaw, and Far, the Greenville, South Carolina quartet Islander fuses propulsive metal riffs with expansive emo melodies to forge its visceral style. The lineup features vocalist Mickey Carvajal alongside guitarist Andrew Murphy, bassist Chris Doot, and drummer Eric Frazier; the group formed in 2011. Victory Records inked the band in 2013, issuing its first EP, Pains., before the year closed. To heighten anticipation, Islander entered the studio alongside Cameron Webb—known for his work with Alkaline Trio and Silverstein—to lay down its first full-length effort. That record, Violence and Destruction, surfaced in 2014, prompting the group to join the 2014 Mayhem Festival circuit in promotion. A fresh single titled “Darkness” appeared in early 2016 ahead of the follow-up studio album, Power Under Control, which emerged that August.