Review Summary: sorry for trolling in highschool i am reborn
Metalcore legends spit out another record of the same material that's expected from them. Their sound self-realization in 'Hot Damn!' became something to continue spewing for records to come. Harsh riffs, loud vocals and glorious one liners. That's all that's asked of Every Time I Die, and that's exactly what they deliver. Without missing a beat, nerds everywhere drop their vinyls and fall to their knees to praise the Buckley Brothers & co. The question is: is this instant critical acclaim really needed?
It's without a question that Every Time I Die is a very solid band. There's never been an album that I could get bored listening to in their discography, but with this new attempt the delivery is the same but lacking. And perhaps it is just because it's the same Every Time I Die that's been spinning for years that leaves the feeling of incompleteness. Even with a beer slurping, burping Keith Buckley wrapping up this redundancy, the ending just doesn't close itself for me.
There's a severe lacking long after the final seconds are over.
What truly didn't impress me with Ex-Lives really was the lack of some real interesting changes. Keith Buckley's clean vocals were pleasantly welcomed, but severely underplayed, only being featured on songs such as 'Business Casualty', 'Revival Mode', 'Drag King', and 'Indian Giver'. If there were any other features of his cleans. The taste of banjo Every Time I Die offers in 'Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow' also leaves a craving pang in the listeners stomach. Why would they tease with such a fantastic change of pace only to rip it away seconds later?
Another factor of the album that truly disturbs is Keith Buckley's blatant crudity in 'Indian Giver'. With lyrics like,
"I like cum, I like cum, I like cum!" in 'Indian Giver', it really makes you question his writing judgement as he ages. Is it time for these metalcore Gods to settle down, have a family, and become couch ridden alcoholics? Not to say that Every Time I Die hasn't always had unpopular views on the world, but these opinions have always been voiced in ways with pure taste. To degrade the music down to Nicki Minaj-esque lines like that is truly sad.
Maybe there's a certain charm I missed, and if I did miss it, please enlighten me.
