Review Summary: Although The Word Alive are building an empire in an overcrowded genre of uninspired and bland music, they intend on being the emperors and have set the bar for how a post hardcore band should sound
The Word Alive is by no means reinventing the wheel with this EP but it is definitely fine tuning a type of music that is becoming a dog pile of uncreative bands. The Word Alive’s original front man Craig Mabbit is who originally got me to listen to this band. I say this because you can tell he has definitely had a lasting impression on their music. The Word Alive can best be described as a revamped and improved version of what Blessthefall used to be.
The album opens up strong with my favorite tracks by them, Battle Royale. The song demonstrates fast and impressive drum work right from the beginning. Telle is able to appropriately switch off between screaming and singing without choppy transitions and makes the song flow well. The song also has a killer climax where the song breaks down and all that is heard is the keys before Telle yells out “I’ll promise you that!” before blasting back to reality with the chorus. The correct word to describe this song is definitely epic.
The lyrics of this album are very impressive. Instead of singing of clichéd topics of relationships I actually feel like Telle has a message he wants to tell the listener. One thing I found very impressive about The Word Alive is how well they incorporate keys into their songs. They are able to add them subtly all over the song and it adds a whole new feel to their music. “Inviting Eyes” shows off Dusty’s abilities the best especially in the opening.
Their guitar work is equally as impressive. Between their interesting, complex riffs and creative solos you can tell that Zack and Tony know what they’re doing! The album is filled with the infamous breakdown. Although breakdowns are used very frequently especially in “The Only Rule is There Are No Rules”, The Word Alive manage to keep it fresh and the breakdowns never overstay their welcome. The stand out track to most listeners of this album is likely to be “Casanova Rodeo”. Although it is the simplest song on the album all around, its catchy beat and lyrics will have you screaming and singing along.
The Word Alive is a promising new band. Although is by no stretch of the imagination the most original band in the world, they are able to take off other bands of the genres sound and tweak it to near perfection. Their intricate guitar work, precise drumming, meaningful lyrics and use of keys really meld into an impressive album that is worth listening to over and over. They have carved their path and laid down a formula for perfection. As long as they do not stray too far from what they have already accomplished in this EP we can expect a mind blowing album.
