Skyliner

Based out of Jacksonville, Florida, Skyliner's soaring blend of esoteric, fantasy-driven power metal, thrash, and tech-savvy progressive rock invokes names like Iced Earth, Dream Theater, Gamma Ray, and Storm Warrior. Formed in 2000 by vocalist/guitarist Jake Becker and drummer/percussionist Ben Brenner, both of whom were barely out of middle school, the band released Light Comes Out of Black, a collection of demos, in 2005. Expanding to a quartet, the group made its official studio debut in 2014 with the release of the Limb Records-issued Outsiders, which was produced by Jamie King (Between the Buried and Me, Devin Townsend, Scale the Summit). A sophomore effort, Condition Black, arrived in 2016, again via Limb. Skyliner returned in 2018 with the largely instrumental EP, The Age of Virgo, which featured three lengthy tracks clocking in at 24 minutes. ~ James Christopher Monger