EVERY TIME I DIE GETS 'RADICAL' WITH NEW ALBUM
Buffalo hardcore band Every Time I Die will be releasing their ninth studio record, Radical, on October 22, 2021. This follows up their last effort, Low Teens, which was out in 2016. The album is produced by Will Putney who has worked with everyone from Four Year Strong to The Acacia Strain. The band is currently made up of vocalist Keith Buckley, guitarist Andy Williams, guitarist Jordan Buckley, bassist Steve Micciche, and drummer Clayton “Goose” Holyoak.
Much like it’s predecessor, Radical finds the band being both introspective about self-worth, humanity and spirituality, but also discusses the outside world with topics like police brutality, war, and politics. The album is 16 songs running at freight train speed, just like you’re used to if you know anything about this band.
Of the new record, Keith Buckley says,
“I’m dealing with difficult matters this time that aren't only personal for me but are also universal and more communal experiences… The songs are realistic in that they acknowledge that things require a lot of work. But it’s ultimately a very hopeful and uplifting record.”
The album opens with a song called “Dark Distance”, which actually made an appearance on a setlist in 2019 for their annual holiday show in their hometown Buffalo, New York. The song starts with ten seconds of an emergency broadcast siren, then immediately Keith starts with, “spare only the ones I love, slay the rest.”
The second song, “Sly” has quickly become a personal favorite. This is a relatively short song at only 2 minutes and 20 seconds, but it does not waste time and it is extremely catchy. The live show is such an integral part of the band, and every one of these songs can slide right into a setlist right behind songs from Low Teens, New Junk Aesthetic, and The Big Dirty. Sonically, this album is their best record and is just bangers from top to bottom. I picture the end of “Sly” being screamed by a full crowd at their holiday show and mass chaos ensuing.
“Read me my rights. Last rights, then read them again. Give my love to Buffalo.”
There is nothing a home crowd loves more than screaming words about it.
The next clump of tracks are singles, but that doesn’t make their positioning on the record any less. “Planet Shit” is the song about the upheaval over the last few years with lyrics like,
“There’s no law when the outlaw wears a badge.”
This song has translated incredibly live, as I’ve seen the band play it a few times at Furnace Fest and a pre-show. “Post Boredom” is a slower song but a massive sing-along with a fun, but goofy video. The message behind the song though, is Keith tearing open his soul with a lot less analogies and talking about death either literally or of the ego.
“Colossal Wreck” and “Desperate Pleasures” were the first tracks that we heard from this record and they still sound just as massive. I cannot wait for the day these get added to a setlist. One thing Every Time I Die has perfected through their career, other than their southern metal sound, is incredibly clever lyrics and big hooks. This whole record shows the diversity of guitarists Andy Williams and Jordan Buckley as this truly is their most inventive and ambitious record even after 20+ year career.
The next two songs “All This and War” and “Thing With Feathers” are the songs with features on the record and each feature really contributes to the overall vibe of the song. Josh Scobin of ‘68 is on the former and Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra on the latter (It should be noted that ‘68 is on the fall tour that Every Time I Die recently announced, so I would not be surprised if the song gets added to setlists).
Track eight is “Thing With Feathers” which is a slight breath of air in the middle of the chaos and freight train speed of the other songs, but only momentarily. It is a thing of magic though and again explores not only their lyric writing, but also the diversity of the band and Keith’s voice. This song seems to be talking to a specific person who is no longer alive,
“You’ve always been a light/ I think you’re done here.”
Andy Hull and Keith Buckley’s voices fit very well together over the incredibly complex music.
One song I’m incredibly excited about the band eventually playing live is “Hostile Architecture”. Although this band is known for pushing boundaries, I think this song pushes even more of them. Drummer Goose is at the top of his game the entire record and this is the first time he recorded with the band since joining in 2017 right before a headlining tour. Anyone who’s seen Every Time I Die live knows how insane he is on drums and to finally have recordings of him with the rest of the band further proves it.
The shift from “Hostile Architecture” into “AWOL” works perfectly. This was a single that was the most different from the others, and again, displays the way Every Time I Die really can do whatever they want at this point and pull it off unlike a lot of bands would.
Track twelve “White Void” was premiered in 2019 on the annual boat shows, but due to the less than ideal sound quality you could not hear the intricacies of it then. This song is another stand out because the vibe is so different from the songs surrounding it. It kind of reminds me of a song from Keith Buckley’s other band, The Damned Things. Again, the guitar work and drumming stand out in this song as much as the lyrics and the vocals.
The next two songs, “Distressed Rehearsal” and “sexsexsex” do not do it for me, this is not to say they’re bad songs because in no way is that true. “Sexsexsex” sounds like it’s addressed to a lover, especially with the talk of Venus who is the Roman goddess of love, beauty and desire.
Track fifteen, “People Verses” is the pinnacle of their southern metalcore ting with the instrumentation, lyricism, and balance of screaming and singing. I would argue this song is another political song, because the ending lyrics of,
“When it’s all been broken- and it’s all been broken- I’m not allowing anyone, who’s not allowing everyone this far.”
This to me is a direct comment on the government overall, and to loudest push back on progress and change that has tried to be accomplished. The repeating “never trust a man” and “don’t believe a man” sounds like it could either be advice to Keith’s young daughter or him reflecting on himself that he shouldn’t be trusted.
The final song on the unrelenting album ends with “We Go Together”, that is most definitely self-reflective, with the chilling lyric of,
“...considering all of the destruction and all the drugs that I have tried,/ I just find it a little strange that I haven’t died.”
The staccato delivery of these beginning lines further punctuates the song. This is the longest song on the record clocking in at just over five minutes, but none of it drags. The almost Halloween sounding organ sounds around two and a half minutes with Keith’s chaotic screams over it perfectly displays the juxtaposition. Among others one of my favorite lyrics has to be,
“Perfection is a reminder we’re flawed. Never enough.”
This song is just such a great closer to an incredible record.
In a recent interview Andy Williams of Every Time I Die basically said they can do whatever they want at this point, and every piece of this record proves it. They do it so well. This is overall one of my favorite records from them and just makes me so excited about everything about this new album cycle.
Be sure to check out ‘Radical’, out on October 22nd, 2021 via Epitaph Records!
Tracklist:
1. Dark Distance
2. Sly
3. Planet Shit
4. Post-Boredom
5. Colossal Wreck
6. Desperate Pleasures
7. All This And War
8. Thing With Feathers
9. Hostile Architecture
10. AWOL
11. The Whip
12. White Void
13. Distress Rehearsal
14. sexsexsex
15. People Verses
16. We Go Together