Customer Reviews

New Junk Aesthetic (Deluxe Version)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To begin, I would rate Every Time I Die's album a 4.5/5. It's not perfect, but pretty darn good for sure.

Now, time to critique...

This, without a doubt, is a new sounding album. It's identifiably different from any other work ETID has done in the past, but it still holds true to their sound and style. The Southern Sound is there, and so are the heavy riffs and belching yells; yet it has a different flavor. I've only had the CD for two days now and listened to each song between 4-8 times, but that does not stop me from noticing a few differences in this album when compared to ETID's past work:

1) The guitars have a different sound. I cannot pin-point it, but when paired up against The Big Dirty or The Gutter Phenomenon, they just sound different. Maybe a slightly different tuning? I don't know for certain, but it sure does produce a darker and heavier sound. Also, the dual guitars are not as prevalent. In most of the songs it sounds like only one guitar did the recording. I'm not sure why, for I loved the intricacy of the dual guitars in The Big Dirty and The Gutter Phenomenon. Don't get me wrong, the riffs are intricate and definitely don't disappoint, just different.

2) The drumming is more intense in this album without a doubt. It's faster, more complex, and just plain great.

3) Keith does something different with his lyrical duties on this album. Overall, I don't really like The New Junk Aesthetic's lyrics as much as ETID's other albums. In over half of his songs he repeats the same lines over and over. The repetition may work sometimes, but it gets old when it is occurring in every song. Another thing Keith changed was the range of his screams. He seems to have extended his range or something. The average scream from The New Junk Aesthetic is higher pitched than let's say The Big Dirty. He still prevails with the deep belches, and definitely avoids the Underoath like screech-scream, but again: it's a noticeable difference. The clean vocals in The New Junk Aesthetic are not as 'clean' as they were on The Big Dirty. Even when singing, Keith manages to sneak in a little screaming. The sound is Keith without a doubt; just an extra pinch of hardcore to his sound.

4) The pace of this album is significantly faster than both The Big Dirty and The Gutter Phenomenon. It falls somewhere between The Gutter Phenomenon and Hot Damn!. It's still not as chaotic as Hot Damn!, but darn close. The guitars and drumming move at mosh-inducing rhythm, only to be accented by Keith's ever-identifiable screams. For those who own The Big Dirty, many of the songs run at a pace similar to that of "Imatation Is the Sincerest For of Battery" and "Rebel Without Applause" (The sound is not like these songs, just the speed). It's brutally fast. The new bassist also sounds fantastic on this album, keeping up with the faster face all while taking unrelenting amount of harassment from the veteran members of ETID (as seen on the DVD accompanying the CD on the Deluxe Version).

If you're looking for a further progression towards the mainstream rock like The Big Dirty did, you aren't going to find anything here. This is an album returning to the sound that sparked ETID's success: Hardcore - Southern Style. In the Big Dirty, I'd say it had more Southern Rock than metal/hardcore on many of its songs. That is not the case on this album. Hardcore is the prevailing genre seeping from this album.

Overall, this album is fantastic. See it as a relief to those who feared that ETID would become the next Papa Roach, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold (etc.), selling out to what the radio wants to hear. This is Southern HARDCORE without a doubt. If this is a new band to you, I'd ask you if enjoy metal? If yes, do you like hardcore metal? If yes, then you are at the right place. The members of Every Time I die are the apex of Hardcore. If you are a fan of Every Time I Die, then buy this album. It'll show you who they really are.

-Ryan Bodnicki

I don't know what their other albums stand like, I'm not a fan of Every Time I Die in that I've never listened to them before so I can't rate this album in the context of their corpus.

But as an album, on it's own, it's great.

Technical without being obnoxious and groovy at the same time. The lyrics are insightful, the vocals are screamed intelligibly and every track brings something to the table.

Also taken as a whole, the album has a progression from beginning to end. Not a concept album, just a nicely laid out collection of songs with a coherent path.

A solid metal album that stands on its own.

ETID seems to be sticking with the formula that has been working with them. That is a formula that always finds it's way into my workout playlist. The artwork included with this album is aesthetically appealing and done by one of the band members... props to you fine sir. The DVD has a couple laughs in it.

I'm usually not big metal fan, but I have been really into ETID since I first heard them. This album does not disappoint old ETID fans and will definitely win over some new fans. The guitars got meaner and the band has really honed in their sound. It's nice to hear bands that sound different in a genre of music that is flooded with carbon copies.

Keith Buckley may not be the Ernest Hemingway of our generation, but he certainly shares some similarities. His lyrics on New Junk Aesthetic are the misanthropic poetry of a bitter old man, ridden with anger, self doubt, and bitter resignation. Musically, the guitar work is complex without being inaccessible, the drums serve their purpose without screaming for attention, and the bass lurks in the background, making little contributions here and there but generally going unnoticed. This album gets 4 stars out of 5, as 1) I could use a little more from the bass and 2) I'd like to hear more singing from Keith. A great listen for the drunk and/or bitter.

New Junk Aesthetic, is leaps and bounds Everytime I Dies strongest album to date. Combining their seriously dry sense of humour with themes of death, longing, and desire to create their most enjoyable album to date. But also combining their more recent southern rock leanings with their metalcore roots to the greatest effect they have yet.

Musicianship wise, Everytime I Die has never sounded better, or been more creative. Andy Williams, and Keith Buckley play the best riffs of their career, And whoever they have decided to use on drums is the best they've ever had. On a side note Keith Buckley proves he actually has a voice for once.

'Wanderlust' might just be the greatest thing the boys have ever recorded. It's one of the better songs the genre has ever produced. Multiple parts, rhythm changes, great riffs, and Buckleys best set of lyrics yet. 'Who Invinted The Russian Soldier' is also a strong runner up for second best. 'Organ Grinder' while cliche is done nicely.

The album however isn't without it's low moments; 'Host Disorder' snd the closer 'The Sweet Life' are both forgettable.

I'm anxious to see where these boys will go next.

This album is like the last three mixed together but played with better musicianship than they have ever showcased. This album never stops rocking. Buy it.

As a band whose catalog never really impressed me, with the exception of their 2003 album 'Hot Damn!', I really wasn't too amped up about ETID's new release. After checking it out, I realized why. They're not that special. Sure, they've had some rockin' tunes here and there, but nothing worth writing home about. One good thing about this new record, however, is that the band's guitar tone is a little more easier to listen to and less noisy/scattered than previously. However, Keith Buckley's once awesome voice has now become quite standard and boring, much like the rest of today's hardcore scene.