Buffalo hardcore mob ‘Every Time I Die’ have returned from the wilderness to release their sixth studio album ‘Ex Lives’, and after 3 years away it’s safe to say that the band haven’t lost their energy, edge or song writing prowess (not that anybody ever thought they would). This album threatens to be the ‘definitive’ ETID experience, packing every ounce of visceral power into a short burst of songs and paying homage to their best work from a back catalogue that boasts the likes of ‘Gutter Phenomenon’ and the most recent ‘New Junk Aesthetic’.
Vocalist Keith Buckley has put a lot of effort into his side project ‘The Damned Things’ (a ‘supergroup’ of sorts alongside former ETID bassist Josh Newton, Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of ‘Anthrax’, and Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley of ‘Fall Out Boy’) so for a new ETID album to hit with such venom as this is really satisfying for fans of the band and the modern metalcore scene in general. There is quite simply no other band like this in the current climate, so it is great to see that 14 years down the line ETID partying like they always have and kicking out the brutal jams like they’re going out of fashion (which trust me, they aren’t).
‘Ex Lives’ opens with the outrageously titled ‘Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space’, which is everything as bonkers as it sounds. Distorted howls of ‘I want to be dead with my friends’ bring in a deafening slab of hardcore punk, delivered beautifully with fiendish lyrics and a shit-storm of guitars. The tornado of Buckley’s furiously spat vocals comes straight from the depths of an insane asylum; dirty licks accompany a duality of screamed/clean vocals on the chorus. Riff after riff bludgeons the ears and vulgar distortion presents a lengthy breakdown during the final third of the track. ‘Holy Book of Dilemma’ takes off at impossible speeds, the ETID Southern grooves evident from the get go. The drums on this track could drown out thunder, Buckley’s roars constantly battling to get the better of the beats. The song is a jagged jigsaw puzzle but the pieces fit together seamlessly, often to the awe of the listener. The instruments fade away as the song ends, leaving the vocals bellowing alone.
‘A Wild, Shameless Plain’ opens with standard grungy chords, the guitars grinding over slower beats. The aggression bubbles beneath the surface, always there as it is with ETID songs, but masked beneath a ‘party time’ sound which makes it sometimes hard to pick out. Buckley rants with perfect poetry, the subject matter of his lyrics appearing to be darker than previously noticed (exploring karma, past mistakes, resentment). The song is a short, sharp kick in the teeth. ‘Typical Miracle’ has the classic ETID bravado – funky metal jams drenched in whiskey. Their definitive sound is played with as the album begins to shape into a beast of its own instead of just some songs forced together.
‘I Suck (Blood)’ rumbles along with hardcore sounds, the new drummer Ryan Leger bringing a fresh chaos to the proceedings. The brutal tones in this track will no doubt give a nosebleed to anybody willing to listen to the entire track (luckily I came armed with cotton wool). ‘Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow’ starts with a fantastic banjo solo (yes, you read that right) that sets the scene for a sinister song that is a whirlwind of style drenched in gasoline and set alight. There is a heavy harmony with a satanic edge (especially with the lyrics), which seems to suggest a booze fuelled bar fight with the Devil himself. ‘The Low Road Has No Exits’ is unapologetic and certainly one of the most ferocious tracks on the record. It’s a great headbanger and rarely lets up, channelling seething rage in a way that only ETID know how to.
‘Revival Mode’ explores an avenue that is not only rare for the songs on this album, but probably anything the band has done to date. A melodic slow jam paired with some clean vocals from Buckley, the tempo taking a downward turn but always feeling like a positive change. It feels genuine and enjoyable, showing a different side to a band a huge amount of people have come to know and love. There’s a great emphasis on the purity of the lyrics, possibly because the words can be heard clearer than ever. ‘Drag King’ returns to the heavy grind, and this is really one of the album highlights. A perfectly paced big and heavy track, dirty low guitars drudge along, occasionally hitting riffing heights to accentuate the old school ETID party ethic. It ascends to the swagger that many songs on last album ‘New Junk Aesthetic’ had yet still has a foreboding edge.
‘Touch Yourself’ is an accomplished song from a band that is clearly pushing the metalcore genre further and further. The track moves at 100mph, the sharp lyrics paired with slack-jawed yelps showing that despite the band’s professionalism they still don’t take themselves too seriously. The lyrics are heartfelt and desperate (‘What does he have that I don’t? Except you), and it’s a side to Buckley’s song writing that should be shown off more often. Album closer ‘Indian Giver’ introduces low-tuned stoner guitars, playing with the industrial rock sound of ‘Tool’ and ‘Nine Inch Nails’. It rounds off the ‘pissed off and ready to shout about it’ rebellion of ‘Ex Lives’, and it a fantastic end to a truly mind-blowing album.
ETID craft an intricate ‘take-no-prisoners- sound that has no rival. They are quite possibly the best metalcore band of all time, not just today. ‘Ex Lives’ is big, brash and bold, and if you are a fan of metal, punk, rock or any guitar music, you really need to get yourself a copy of this album. It is utterly astounding and will leave you breathless and reaching to pick your jaw up from the floor.
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