Already Dead Declare “Something Like A War” With New Album

By now everyone knows that old adage about making albums, about how a band has its entire life to craft the first one but only a year or two to write the second. It’s a cautionary tale built around creative pressure, unforgiving deadlines, and how a songwriter is now saddled with the expectation to not only maintain, but build upon, any success of the band’s debut. Boston’s Already Dead do not give a fuck about any of that. Instead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Dan Cummings has taken an inspired approach in creating Something Like A War, Already Dead’s relentless and confrontational new album that is out today on CD and through streaming platforms, with the raucous release party going down tonight at Thirsty First in Lowell. He’s assembled his crew, leaned in to the energy around him, and allowed the seeds of his songwriting to take a louder, more aggressive shape than the Boston punk band’s 2022 debut album, My Collar Is Blue.  

“At the time of creating and recording My Collar Is Blue, Already Dead was a project. This time around, we’re a band creating an album. We have a vibe when we play together live, where inspiration comes on the spot for a new melody or drum fill. We knew what we stand for as a band and what time of sound and message we wanted to capture and put on record. Musically, we’re just going for it. We are inspired by a lot of music, which can find its way into our songs. That can be great, and that can be risky.  It’s a fine line to walk when blending styles. But when we write, it isn’t pre-decided. It comes from real inspiration in the moment. So when we dig the outcome, it’s like ‘fuck it, let’s capture it’. Then we went back and listened to demos to craft the album, and these flowed together. These songs as a whole describe where we are at, always evolving.” (Dan Cummings)

Something Like A War is a comprehensive and expansive album that lyrically touches on social commentary and self-reflection. But it’s also one of collaboration: Guitarist Brandon Barlett has taken on co-vocalist duties, adding some snarl to the band’s already incendiary sound; drummer Nick Cali has found a dynamic rhythm in applying the type of backbeat needed to hold this machine together; and new recruit, bassist Brian Ferrazzani, has helped provide a richer, fuller sound, as well as lineup versatility. Beyond the band, the Already Dead crew rolls deep, with each contributor an honorary member: engineer Jimmy Corbett, who recorded the album at the Bridge Sound And Stage in Cambridge, MA; longtime video collaborator Roberto Terrones of Berto Media longtime confidant and lyricist BOS The Rapper and designer Mark Saffie of Saffie Design, who crafts the Already Dead single and album artwork, as well as logos. The team around Already Dead helps sharpen the message, the approach, and the directive. They’re the ones who knock before Already Dead kicks the fucking door down. 

Something Like A War packs 14 songs of punk fury fueled by aggression, observation and self reflection, and the battles we all face from external forces and internal demons. Both the song and the album, brims with the type of intensity we all need in facing our daily lives, and maintains the Already Dead working class ethos, positioned steadfast as a voice for labor movements and working class solidarity.