Review Summary: Dead but not forgotten
Layton, Utah gothic metalcore outlet
Get Scared have had one hell of a run marred with hardships and conflict that likely would have killed any other band in an instant; from drama with other bands and record labels to conflict within the band itself, they never stopped doing what they loved to do. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, as the current wave of drama within the band likely means they're done for, and
The Dead Days is, simply put, the best way they could have gone out with a bang.
The Dead Days is probably the darkest album in their repertoire: not only does it develop the sound they laid the path for on
Demons, the lyrical content has gotten even darker; though Get Scared have always been a band to write about bleak topics,
The Dead Days discusses things such as abandonment and drug addiction. Nicholas Matthews is at his peak in the vocal department, both in terms of screams and cleans; he's also a lot more angrier than before, as his lyrics are one giant rant about how his life virtually fell apart; not only is he now addicted to drugs, but he's also had a multitude of other problems, such as the end of his relationship with his long-time girlfriend; indeed, the anger and hatred expressed by Matthews is one of the chief assets of the album. Johnny Braddock and Adam Virostko provide top-notch guitar work and play each other off absolutely beautifully, while Bradley "Lloyd" Iverson's bass is amongst the best in the genre right now. Dan Juarez's drumming has taken a drastic turn for the better, and his aggressive, angry drumming compliments the music very well. Kris Crummett's production is very raw and abrasive, even more so than
Demons; the guitars in particular are incredibly heavy and very loud, while the drums and bass have much grittier tones to them. The mixing is also nearly top-notch; the only thing left to be desired is that the bass is louder, but it ultimately ends up being a minor nuisance rather than a genuine detriment to the album.
The Dead Days is Get Scared's greatest work by a mile, the perfect way to go out, and one of the greatest metalcore releases of the decade; fueled by anger, hate and tragedy, it's one of the greatest representations in music of life falling apart and not being able to get better no matter what you do, and the heaviness of the instrumentals provide a massive breath of fresh air in an increasingly lighter metalcore scene more concerned with writing poppy radio hooks and gimmicks, rather than providing a nice outlet for angrier music.
