Review Summary: For those of you who complained that their debut was way to soft can rest assured... Dead by April are not about to make the same mistake again.
I still remember in 2007 when I stumbled upon this band called Dead by April who basiclly mixed metal and pop music in a way I'd never heard before. It didn't take long before I was hooked and has listened to them ever since. In 2009 they released their debut self-titled album, and I was kind of let down. Basiclly because of two things: 1 the album version of the songs were WAY to soft compared to their old demos, and 2 the track "Unhataeble" was not used for the album. It's now 2011, and the guys are back with a new singer, and a new album! Although before releasing their upcoming album (name not yet announced) the band released the lead single/EP "Within My Heart". The EP featured 3 tracks. Two brand new and really catchy and heavy tracks called "Within My Heart" and "Two Faced" as well as a re-recorded version of "Unhateable". This is still pop and metal killing eachother in every way, but this time it's 50 % pop and 50 % metal again, and not 80 % pop and 20 % metal. So for those of you (like me) who complained that their debut was way to soft can rest assured... Dead by April are not about to make the same mistake again, this EP is a killer!
Now I Know track-by-track is concidered low standar around here, but it's only 3 songs, so what the hell!
The EP starts with the lead single "Within My Heart" and has clearly greater radio potential than the other tracks. It starts off with a intro lead by piano and drums as well as crystal clear singing by their new singer Zandro Santiago, taking over for singer Jimmie Strimell who now only is screaming. Talking about screaming... as the intro is over the songs kicks in to a intense and brutal verse were Strimell has his time of glory screaming his lungs out along with the rest of the band basiclly playing as heavy as possible. BE WARNED, if you hate high pitched pop vocals that sings the chorus of a metal song you should just turn away, because there's no remorse were your heading, witch is the chorus where Santiago sings a really catchy hook with the rest of the band playing not as heavy as with Strimell, but yet not as soft as in "What Can I Say" during the chorus. If you repeat this about three times and adding and aditional bridge that slows down the chorus, you have the whole song. Now I'm sure a whole bounch of you will hate on this track, becuase yes.. it is still very pop, but I enjoy this song quite a lot.
For those of you who want's to hear Strimell leading the show can be pleased, that's excactly what he does in the second song "Two Faced". The song starts with a faded in keyboard that soon get's acompanied by the band banging around as well as Strimell screaming in the same rhythm. The chorus on this song isn't really that much of a pop chorus as it's really simple and fits the "metal of the song". If you'd given Anders Fridén a more clean/pop-ish and higher pitched voice, it wouldn't be too far off. Dead by April is not a band that plays solos, so after hearing the first verse and chorus you know what you're going to hear next, with sometimes the aditional breakdowns (like in this song) and briges (as in Whtin My Heart). The song closes with Strimell stealing Santiago's last chorus screaming it to an end.
Now it's time for my all time favorite Dead by April song. This song was made when Strimell still did all of the singing both clean and harsh vocals, so it's not really a song made for the duo, but they manage to pull it good off. I'm actuallt glad that no changes has been done to the song, If I know myself right I would have been bitching about it all the time. I was scared that Santiago woudln't be able to pull the chorus off as good as Strimell did in 2007, but amazingly he did, the song has never sounded better! The reason why I always have loved is because I have a bit of a weak spot for really agressive metal, as well as melodic and emotional metal, and that's what this song is all about. The verse is part singing, but mostly intense screaming. The whole song changes tempo in the chorus as the really emotional singing comes along "Look what you've done to me, don't leave me here". Now I will probably be stampled metal fag or something for that one.. but I don't care, it's a guilty pleasure, really.
So what we got here is basiclly what everybody hoped for when they first heard Dead by April. Like the new singer or not, this is Dead by April at their best with really good production behind it, without making it sound over polished by keyboards and other elements that ruined the debut album.
