Every Time I Die – Ex Lives

Everyone seems to be pretty much in agreement that Every Time I Die is the best thing going for metalcore.  And it’s true, against the tides of Rise Records imitators like Attack! Attack! or Of Mice & Men, no one holds a candle to the aggression, chaos, and passion commanded by front man Keith Buckley and his crew.  I jumped into the mix around the release of New Junk Aesthetic and I’ve never looked back.  The same applies to their sixth full length and second Epitaph release, Ex Lives, which finds the band taking more chances than ever with their biggest payoff to date.

The album gnashes its teeth and kicks up dirt from the get go with the malicious thrasher of an opener “Under Water Bimbos From Outer Space.”  The discordant riffs of Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams shred out steady skull splitters with Keith’s buzz saw vocals gnashing between volumous crunchy breakdowns and spastic mental breaks as per the seamless follow-up of “Holy Book of Dilemma.”  His vocal anguish remains second to none, with his expertly audible vocals coating lyrics like “there was whisky in the devil’s blood, and there was blood in my cup” as powerful in message as they are in meaning.

Of course there are plenty of other aspects unique to Every Time I Die that fans have come to expect.  Like the hint of Deep South fortitude with the hard rock swagger of the chorus line on “I Suck [Blood],” root’n toot’n power-banjo intro to “Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow,” and experimental grandeur of “Indian Giver.”  The occasional clean segments, namely “Revival Mode,” pace the eleven tracks without ever sounding out of place or dilute.  The lyrics also offer plenty of thought provoking complexities worth discovering on their own, all tying back to the album’s overarching regretful themes.

It has been a while since I’ve checked in with Every Time I Die, and it has been an equally lengthy time since I’ve really received enjoyment from anything associated with metalcore.  And while I remain an outsider to the world of metalcore, at this point I consider myself at least a casual fan of Every Tie I Die, and can’t think a negative thought against the group.  Always approachable but forever on edge, Ex Lives ups the expectation once again for the Buffalo, NY quartet, marking their most well-envisioned masterpiece to date – and that’s saying something.