Customer Reviews

Gutter Phenomenon

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Probably one of the most anticipated metal/hardcore releases of 2005, Every Time I Die does NOT disappoint with their third full length (fourth release oversall) "Gutter Phenomenon." The brilliant thing about Every Time I Die, which is finally starting to show through, is that their sound, style, writing, and production continues to evolve with each album and while many may prefer Every Time I Die's grittier and rawer sound of "Hot Damn!," there will be no doubt in anyone's mind that "Gutter Phenomenon" contains everything that you love about Every Time I Die with more than a dash of refinement.

The two biggest things a fan of ETID will notice on this album that differs from their previous efforts is Keith Buckley's improved vocal work (more often than not, you can actually understand what he's saying but not at the expense of his unique scream) including of the phasing in of some more clean vocals ala "Ebolarama" and "I've Been Gone A Long Time" from "Hot Damn!," and the noticably different style of guitar riffs than that of previous efforts(see "Champing At The Bit"--which features a guest performance from Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw/Head Automatica fame) including much more of a southern rock n' roll influence. That's not to say that ETID threw out everything we know about them, far from it in fact as tracks such as "Gloom And How It Gets That Way," "L'Astronaut," and "Tusk And Temper" would have fit nicely on any of their previous releases.

Where ETID really made advances in their sound was their newly found ability to formulate and actually structure a song. ETID no longer simply throws riffs together for the sake of throwing them together, there's actually a method to their sarcastic madness which is a constant through the entire album. Tracks like "Easy Tiger," "Apocalypse Now And Then," "Kill The Music(complete with a guest appearance from Gerard Way of the now larger than life My Chemical Romance)," and most especially "The New Black(probably the closest thing to a rock n' roll song you'll ever hear ETID write)" find ETID treading entirely new water. If you liked ETID's use of the cowbell(which appears more than once this time around) in "I've Been Gone A Long Time" and the general feel of that single track on "Hot Damn!," you'll probably love this album. The awesome thing about "Gutter Phenomonen" is even though their sound has entirely evolved, you can still listen to this and know this is ETID because not only does it contain Keith Buckley's devious and satirical lyrical content, but the same amount of energy and attitude as their previous efforts and any time a band can take the basic fundamentals of their sound and create something entirely different with it as they write each album is something you have to respect.

This easily one of the top 5 metal/hardcore releases of the year and definetly a worthy purchase. Highlight tracks include "Kill The Music," "Easy Tiger, "The New Black," and "Champing At The Bit."

Every Time I Die is one of those bands that come along and just amaze you upon first listen. The first CD I heard by them, Hot Damn!, was excellent, because I felt it broke all the boundries in their genre of music. They mixed heavy hardcore-like rhythem guitar with southern rock kind of lead riffs. And the singing wasn't necessarily all high pitched screaming, but more of a gruff yell.. Not something along the lines of Converge or Dillinger Escape Plan, where they just scream incoherently so you can't understand a single word they're uttering. Gutter Phenonmenon is much more intricate and catchy then Hot Damn!

I'm not going to rate the songs, but simply describe them and what's good about them.

1. Apocalypse Now And Then - From the opening riff, this song gives you a perfect idea of what the rest of the CD is going to be like. Keith's vocals are much, MUCH better and the song isn't just mishmashed riffs and fast drums. It's actually organized very well. I love in the middle, when the bass and Keith's vocals are the only things in the song.

2. Kill The Music - Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance guest stars in this song, and I must say, I didn't exactly know what to think of this at first, but after I heard it, I was actually quite impressed. The song is constructed very well, and very much exceeded my expectations. One thing I love about the new Every Time I Die is that Keith can change his vocals from yelling to normal very quickly. It's very impressive.

3. Bored Stiff - This was the first song I heard off of the CD. Very fast, very heavy, and probably about as close to Hot Damn! as you'll get. There's a SICK breakdown at the end, where Keith continously yells over and over and the guitars and drums just pummel you through the speakers.

4. Easy Tiger - Compared to Bored Stiff, this song is a little slower. Keyword: a little. It's still very fast, and has some very interesting, unique riffs. I love how right near the end of the song, a breakdown just comes out of nowhere, but it's not your average deep, one chord palm muted breakdown. It's enough to keep your head banging, but it's not the kind that bands such as say, Throwdown or Unearth do.

5. Tusk And Temper - It seems as the CD goes on, the songs get more "southern rock" like. Just in terms of their riffs. They seem to be less heavy orientated in a few of the songs, and focus more on the intricacy of the song. I don't really listen to this song all that much, since I see it inferior compared to most of the other tracks, but still, it is very good.

6. The New Black - I was literally, SHOCKED, when I first heard this song. It doesn't really sound like anything Every Time I Die has done. It's very bluesy and rockish. Don't let that turn you away from the song though. You have to hear for yourself how the song is put together. It starts off with a beer can being opened and it keeps up a very 70's rockish kind of sound

7. Champing At The Bit - This song has the singer of Glassjaw guest starring in it. I've never been that big of a fan of Glassjaw and perhaps that's what makes me not like this song as much. I don't see anything that special about it. I'm not one of those people who gets annoyed by repetitious riffs, but this song seems to sound a lot like Easy Tiger or Tusk And Temper.

8. Gloom And How It Gets That Way - Like Bored Stiff, this song is very reminiscent of Hot Damn!, since it is very short, to the point, and has very fast and brutal guitars. It reminds me a lot of Off Broadway from Hot Damn.

9. Guitarred And Feathered - I believe this was the second song I heard off of this CD. Much longer then your average Every Time I Die song. That was the first thing I noticed. This is one of my favorite songs off of the CD, mainly because of the rapid tempo changes. The song keeps a normal, average tempo throughout most of the song, and right at the end, it just immediatly changes and gets very heavy. Also, the guitars are a lot better, since they use harmonics in this song.

10. L'astronaut - I didn't really like this song all that much, even upon repeated listenings. I thought the song got better near the end, when Keith's vocals go clean. What I like a lot about Every Time I Die is the lyrics are as ambigious as you can get.

11. Pretty Dirty - I was expecting a crazy ending to the CD, and that's exactly what ETID delivered. A very nice heavy track, with a SICK breakdown at the end. I like the little lion roar at the end of the CD.

Overall, this is one of those CD's that will stand out for 2005. I don't think that there have been too many standout or impressive CD releases this year (besides Mesmerize by System Of A Down), but this one, I think, takes the cake so far as my favorite 2005 release.

Every Time I Die's new album is a lot different than their past releases, which is a good thing. I love their other stuff, but this album mixes their trademark chaos/noise with some southern rock sensibilities....look for guest appearances from gerard from my chemical romance and daryl from glassjaw.

Is it hardcore? Metal? Rawk? Who knows anymore? It's just a relentless slab of uncontrollable rhythms, breakdowns, and chaotic riff after chaotic riff. It's pure adrenalin.

If it wasn't for the metal riffs, I'd say this album reminds me of the non-stop energy of the first Drive Like Jehu album, all manic, post-rock, bizarre time signatures, crazy song structures included.

Aside from that, no other similarities.

"Hot Damn" was their best prior to this, but even that album suffered overall for its lack of cohesiveness and shotgun approach to songwriting. This new one works from start to finish, and - with the exception of the lame beginning to "The New Black" - not a bad or boring moment on here.

This is the album they've been trying to make for a while. It is by far their best.

I wanted to like this album. I really did.

I have been listen to Every Time I Die for around 5 or 6 years now, and unlike the majority of "old" ETID fans, I did not find myself at odds with the band upon the release of their last record, Hot Damn!. In fact, I thought Hot Damn! was a great, innovative, and incredibly enjoyable album. It was perfectly executed, and it sounded great. It was my album of the year when it was released, much like their amazing Last Night In Town had been a few years earlier. And now I find myself in a position I never would have predicted 2 years ago: I just plain don't like an ETID record.

In a lot of ways, all the elements are there: angular guitar lines, innovative interjections of more classic rock stylings, compelling vocal delivery, creatively bizarre lyrics, huge breakdowns that keep from sounding tired or repetitive, etc. There are parts of this album I really love, and there are parts that are nothing but classic Every Time I Die. In all honesty, there's plenty here to like. And when it works ("Tusk and Temper," "Champing At the Bit"), it really works.

Unfortunately, when it doesn't work ("Kill the Music," "Easy Tiger" just to name a couple), it really doesn't work. The most notable difference that I've been noticing on repeated listens is the change of vocal delivery by vocalist Keith Buckley. It's almost as though he's decided to try to be three singers at once - a throaty metalcore growler, a spazzy indie rocker, and a pop-sensitive "screamo" crooner, and while on occasion his vocals seem to fit right in, the majority of the album sounds mismatched with his attempts at broadening his vocal ability. It's almost confusing.

And the guest vocal spots do nothing to help sort out this vocal dilemma, either. Allowing the spot by the singer of My Chemical Romance is perhaps one of the most misguided decisions Every Time I Die has ever made. Not only does it sound tired and repetitive, but it falls completely flat in terms of the song structure and arrangement. The cameo from Glassjaw's Daryl Palumbo does a notably better job in terms of cohesiveness, but it exposes the amateurish approach of Buckley's melodies by opening up a comparison in which Buckley no doubt comes in the second. If it wasn't clear beforehand, "Champing At the Bit" makes it painfully apparent who Buckley has been jocking for his melodies.

Musically, this album seems to have a distinctly more "southern" rock feel than previous outings. This is actually one of stronger aspects of ETID's transformation, but there are times that they almost stray too far off course, and rather than allowing their songs to grow into chaotic climaxes, they instead let them devolve into simple anchors that end up being detrimental to their once-brilliantly chaotic sound.

Newer fans of the band, or more casual heavy music fans might find some merit in this album, as Every Time I Die occasionally shows flashes of the brilliance they harnessed in their first 3 records. But speaking as a long-time fan of the band, it seems like they've experimented just a little too much with their sound and lost a little bit of the spark that always made them so appealing. Gutter Phenomenon is not a terrible record by any means - it definitely has some noteworthy moments, and maybe even a couple of the best tracks the band has ever written. Where it fails, though, is in its continuity, in its pursuit of depth, in which it veers off course a few too many times to keep one's attention throughout.

Rather than assume the worst and write off ETID for good, I'd much rather keep my fingers crossed and hope that this record is just a transitional experiment that has yielded mixed results, and that Every Time I Die's next record will be able to recapture the innovation and raw energy of their previous releases because of it.

Here's to wishful thinking.

This will go down in history as the best release of 2005. I really enjoyed "Hot Damn"... and, although this is different, musically, it's better. Lyrically... i don't think anything could match "Hot Damn". There are so many breakdowns on this album... a lot different from "Hot Damn". HMMMM... I don't know how else to describe this album... it's that good. Five stars doesn't do it justice! THIS IS A MUST BUY!!!!!!!

I did not have high hopes for this cd after hearing so many disheartening reviews. I must say that i was very pleasantly surprised with ETID's 4th release. Although not nearly as heavy as Last Night in Town or Hot Damn!, this album doesnt fail to deliver an enjoyable listen. The songs are more structured and many have choruses. Im not a big fan of the verse-chorus-verse-breakdown style, but ETID plays choruses in their songs without falling into this career-slaughtering cliche.

The first two tracks on the album are easily the worst and weakest (why ETID put them 1st, i have no idea). My hate for MCR might be some reasoning behind my dislike for "Kill the Music". My favorites on the album are definately "Easy Tiger", "Bored Stiff", "Guitarred and Feathered", and "Pretty Dirty". For some reason, despite my love for Glassjaw, i find the Daryl Palumbo track (#7) kinda weak. Either way, no song on this cd is unbearable. Many songs still have great the great breakdowns we all love about ETID, too. Im pleased to say ETID hasnt sold out.

Standout Tracks: Easy Tiger, Guitarred and Feathered, Bored Stiff, Pretty Dirty

Weak Tracks: Apocalypse Now and Then, Kill the Music

Get this album, although its not perfect, its pretty good and well worth the money.

I understand that each reviewer has their opinion but I'm all for seeing a band's musical development in different lights. Here's my two-cents:

ETID's "Gutter Phenomenon" embodies the whole rock and roll attitude that the band has exhibited in their Last Night in Town days. As most people should know, Keith's regular voice lessons since "Hot Damn!" has allowed him to explore his range. I'm not saying he should sound like Pavoroti (sp?) but the way he uses his voice as an instrument in this album is really awesome. ETID haven't changed, they've transformed! Honestly, I think the naysayers just want the songs to sound too much like they did on their first two full-lengths.

It's hard for me to have a personal fav. on this album but "The New Black" has stuck in my head the most. I don't see this as a "disgrace" to hardcore at all. In fact, I definetly wouldn't call this album a "hardcore" album. Most people these days misuse that word a lot. In the same vein, I think Comeback KId is the newest band that resembles what hardcore sounds like the most.. but that is a different story in itself.

I've been a fan of ETID since butial plot bidding war came out. With each c.d. they sound a bit different and improve. Though Hot Damn! is still amazing this cd beats it. I like every song on here. If your an ETID fan than definitley get this album.
Favorite tracks: # 2,3,4,9,and 11.

When this band came on the scene a few years back,I was reluctant due to Revolver Magazine all over them but after a couple of listens I am a true believer.
THIS ALBUM ROCKS HARD!!