Review Summary: Get ready to punch everyone who you hate in the face and to steal their girlfriend.
Every Time I Die during this album:
Keith Buckley - Vocals
Andy Williams - Guitar
Jordan Buckley- Guitar
Mike Novak “ratboy” - Drums
Steve Micciche - Bass (not currently with the band)
Recorded February and March 2003 at Trax East
Produced, mixed, and engineered by Eric Rachael
Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side
Original Release Date: July 1, 2003
Label as produced: Ferret Records
The Don Quixote of the ICU
This band appears to be pretty notorious as one of the bands that is a stand-able in a genre or to elitists, “mediocre” at best. Maybe for me it’s a little of both of these statements combined but all for all,
it feels like its better this way. The band has always found themselves doing some things right through their evolution of sound but what stands out is the things they’ve done “wrong” and people enjoying them for that. It surprises me that no one has reviewed this album yet, because back a few years ago this album really splashed my taste buds to a genre I wasn’t really familiar with. I can’t stress enough how influential this band was on me, and still today, are. I remember hearing them through a friend of mine and it wasn’t this particular album but this was the first album of there’s that I bought. It’s needless to say that I now own all releases by this band except the re-issue of “gutter phenomenon”. I wouldn’t want to do this review without hearing it all, and I feel as if by listening to everything they’ve done in there somewhat short career, I can make some accurate inputs and outputs.
Onto the Songs
1) Romeo A Go-Go - The album just starts off on a car chase. It feels like the music takes a direction of a “bad guy” and is following his story around. Keith Buckley is able to grace screams right off… “Tonight I'm coming home in a coma if it ***ing kills me.” The winding guitars just build up with the music creating a tense standoff between the lyrics and everything else around it. The structure of this song isn’t the for the generics but I know a lot of people who like this song for the format of it being fairly unique. I wouldn’t even call it breakdowns but there are plenty of times where the music will slow up as if it climaxes and comes around to hit you back over the face. A great album start off. *9/10*
2) Off Broadway - The music continues to pound the listener. This time the music takes a more “metal” sounding guitar riff that once again swirls and flies around the ears of the listener. It’s no doubt that Every Time I Die fuels itself off of the guitar work that is mastered by Andy Williams and Jordan Buckley. I had the feeling that there was a fluke in the ridiculous lyrics from the first song but the second song seems to squash that. By “ridiculous” I mean that they are witty, incisive, and just arrogant at times. I was really surprised for a genre having such lyrics like this because really I don’t know any band that does it the way Keith Buckley has it. I love the ending to this song where it feels as if the band is just playing with you, tempting breakdown but going out on a softer note. Everything vanishes. *9/10*
3) I Been Gone A Long Time - This was the first single off of the album and with good reason. This song seems to be written directly about someone who’s a badass. I’m not talking about the kid who plays with Pogs in High School. I’m talking about the dude who drives a Supercharged SS Monte Carlo 88’, sleeps with multiple girls on any given Saturday night, and does alcoholic hat trick’s on a regular basis. The lyrics just truly shine on this song with the fast upbeat tempo of music. The yelping scream in the beginning just foresees the whole mood of the song. I can’t tell you how much I love this song but I can tell you the use of cowbell occurs during it. I don’t feel like I can explicit this song in any better way except giving you my favorite passing of lyrics.
What we're doing is so wrong, and what you're wearing is so right (it's so tight).
But I've never felt better so I'm going out to get her and I don't care what set of wheels I steal to get there.
Balance is a minor setback.
What she thinks is all right, and the way she looks is just fine.
She sure as hell ain't you, but lord knows she'll have to do.
She don't know I'm alive but neither do I so there's nothing left to lose.
If I could only make it make you want to want me. One more drink, I think, should do. *10/10*
4) Godspeed Us To Sea - This song feels like it’s right up the metal core alleyway. The palm muted parts are pummeled over and over with the lead introduction riff shrieking away at the listener. I’m not as fond as this song as the previous 3 but it definitely isn’t a bad song. Some of the parts just aren’t as catchy as hard hitting than the other songs. If there’s one thing about this band though, it’s they really know how to wrap there songs up in the last few seconds. Nice little guitar outro. *7/10*
5) She’s My Rushmore - The song starts off with really frantic and quick screams by Keith that blend in so well with the guitar. When this song starts to slow down it really begins to shine in almost a breakdown fashion. The time changes in this song are really well put and even the singing interlude was a nice touch. The song is pretty short but it’s very serene in execution. “The Greatest Lovers Were Murders First” is how this song ends, over and over. *9/10*
6) Floater - I lose my *** when I hear them play this song live. I have a bias because the handful of times I’ve seen this band play this song live they’ve played it faster then the album version. It’s sick both ways and really there are just way too many good songs to call this song my favorite but it’s the one that makes me want to get up and dance. The guitar work seems to really shine along with the drums throughout this song. There are so many fast ; slower heavier parts to thrash along too. Just like “Romeo A Go-Go” this song has a perfect song structure that goes along with it. There is a reason why they still play this song live… *10/10*
7) In The Event That Everything Should Go Terribly Wrong - This piece doesn’t really fit. It’s an instrumental with barely any vocals (the vocals are just really harmonizers). I’ve heard a lot worst instrumentals that made no sense but this song totally kills the momentum of this album and is regularly skipped by me. People who have “Last Night In Town” know that there is an instrumental on that album leads into another song perfectly and beautifully. I wish I could say the same about this, but it just feels like the band having a random jam session and the bass actually decided to move out of the bands range. *5/10*
8) Ebolorama - This is probably the most popular song off of the album. It was the second single, and let me just tell you the music video kicks. It features the band in a roller rink playing in the center of it with people (and a robot) skating around them. You could think this is boring but it’s much more unique than it sounds (it’s a lot better then every other band playing in a dark alleyway). During the video the guitarists do jumps over the skaters and sometimes succeed, sometimes fail. The lead singer is also found stabbing and tripping people as they skate by with the microphone stand. This song seems to sound a little more different than the rest of the songs on this album. I don’t want to say it takes a melodic approach because it doesn’t but it doesn’t feel as hard as the other songs. It’s almost like a continuation off of “I Been Gone A Long Time” and it’s another great song off of the album. I know this is a lot of people’s favorite song, and it’s probably mine too. *10/10*
9) Hit Of The Search Party - I hate to say it about one of my favorite bands, but Every Time I die seems to lose steam by the end of there albums. I’m not sure but when it comes down to it, some of the songs just start blending into each other. They always have that one last song that seems to present something new to the tables, but after that everything starts blending into each other. This song never ceases to lose its pace, but it never exactly finds its climax. *7/10*
10) Pornogratherapy - There is the nice touch ups of singing during this song but this song doesn’t seem to find it’s place on the album. I definitely didn’t like this song as a closure. It was too short and just felt like a filler track. There is a nice lead guitar lick throughout the song but the song just didn’t really spark my interest. The singing isn’t particularly good but it isn’t awfully bad. It sounds more like a yelping dog at times. I wish they ended the song on the same note that they started it though… *6/10*
p.s. - The greatest lovers were murderers first
I have a feeling that a lot of people are going to view this review with a made up mind about this band. I really don’t stand for that and hope that doesn’t happen because I’m writing this for the people who may have complaints or never heard of this band but nonetheless have an open mind to MUSIC. Let me say that this album is a novelty has worn off a bit since I first purchased it. It wasn’t what I was into when I first purchased it but I gave it a few tries and it really grew on me. The staying power of this album just like Gutter Phenemenon is enormous. The CD spins and it may be giving you it’s harsh vibes but deep down inside in your mind these songs are going to be stuck. It’s just pure chaos at times, but they know how to make it not so long drawn out and boring. Festivity add ins like the Cowbell, whiny singing, and the interesting use of Bass to cause a random part of an interlude to turn into a stand out moment in a song seems to feel planned. The hooks and catches have Burger King bacon cheese burgers on the lines and they almost always have to be taken. The lead singer to this band just writes lyrics that I wish I was able too. He seems like a passable person to have just escaped from the mental ward/jail and he’s ready to steal your girlfriend and kick you in the balls while doing so. At times he’s just cocky and arrogant and he deserves the right to be. On a side note I met this guy at a Warped Tour tent and talked to him before they played live and he is seriously insane. Yeah all the girls love his badass look but this guy is just crazy and he looks it through his eyes. I couldn’t help to being able to talk to him about music and the fact that this band dislikes all of the fame that it’s getting.
This CD makes me want to party, break ***, and drive my car 90 mph on a 30 mph street. This is the perfect album for all of you idiots who drive drunk, or just people who need a fresh breathe of something new. I’m not going to label this band into a genre but let’s just say “mediocre” can’t always be for blaming this band. Or just at all.
Pros:
+ Catchy
+ Clever Lyrics
+ Unique Vocals
+ Not so much original or painstakingly hard guitar work but inventive
Cons:
- Songs can start to sound the same
- Not the same style as “Last Night In Town”
Why I gave this album a 4: I was drawn between 4 and 4.5. I know alot of people who hold this album as a classic and I can't because this band has a huge impact on me. The CD holds a really short time of barely 27 minutes but it keeps the music alive. It is well worth every second that it gives. I felt like some things could of been done better, and some songs really feel raw (but raw not in a good way). Lead singers singing ability really isn't anything to brag about until the next album but his screams really work well to the band. All of the musicianship stays decent but really isn't anything along the lines of math-core or really technical.
You gotta give this CD a shot, and if you're new to the band make it this album. It's there most well balanced...
