Album Review: Every Time I Die- Ex Lives

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Every Time I Die are a band that require little introduction. That being said, their importance to metalcore, the "scene" and their fans, cannot be overstated. Case and point, the artwork for the band's new full-length (second on Epitaph Records), Ex-Lives. If you look close to the left of the big pink "I" (ew), you'll see the young man being restrained by policemen (or women) in riot gear is wearing an Every Time I Die t-shirt. Even in the chaos of whatever is going on in that picture, this young man is wearing the t-shirt of one of his favorite bands. That's dedication at it's finest. And that's also exactly what ETID thrive off of in Ex Lives: chaos.

Of course, there is a certain sound and quality fans have come to expect from Every Time I Die. Whether it be the blistering pace of Hot Damn!, the inventiveness of The Big Dirty, or the blending of the two in New Junk Aesthetic, Every Time I Die has always pushed the envelope without abandoning what got them to where they are in the first place: Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams constantly blazing a trail for Keith Buckley's lyrics and delivery to shine over, and enough twists and turns (and headbanging) to make your stomach turn. And that's exactly what they want.

Ex-Lives begin with the frantic "Underwater Bimbos from Outer Space" (early front-runner for song title of the year), which finds frontman Kieth Buckley briefly observing the lives of those he leaves behind on the road. "I want to be dead with my friends," he sings, seeing his touring lifestyle as a way to keep him young. If it's youth Keith is looking for, Ex Lives just may be his fountain of youth. The first five songs of the album clock in under three minutes, with "Holy Book of Dilemma" and "A Wild, Shameless Plain" both clocking in under two minutes. The reason I bring this up, you ask? Because the first half of Ex Lives prove that Every Time I Die can say and do more in a shorter amount of time than any up-and-coming metalcore acts with swoopy hair, synchronized head-bangs, and a synthesizer  can in songs twice as long.

The first song of Ex Lives that stretches past three minutes is "Partying is such Sweet Sorrow," and that  first word in the song title says it all: pure and simple, the song is a three-minute party. Beginning with Andy Williams and Jordan Buckley dueling a banjo (yes, a banjo) and a guitar, the song shows off the band's cavalier approach to their genre, and once Buckley's voice graces the track, the party picks up its pace, and the listener is left in its wake.

Keith Buckley's screams are a sight for sore eyes for some, as the last time Buckley lent his voice to a project, it was for his side project The Damned Things, a hard rock act Buckley was enlisted to assist in, which featured members of Fall Out Boy and Anthrax. Buckley tended to keep his voice on the lighter side, mostly singing his lyrics, and while those clean vocals are present on Ex Lives in the form of tracks of "Revival Mode" and album closer "Indian Giver," Buckley's screams have never been finer ("I Suck (Blood)" is a prime example). Buckley's ability to blend the two styles are yet another wrench the band has thrown in their sound. Combing the walls of sound Jordan Buckley and Williams consistently create (no matter how Keith Buckley's voice is being presented) with new drummer Ryan Leger, and you have a band who have seemingly been around forever, but are only getting their own party started.

The Bottom Line: If you're already an Every Time I Die fan, this review won't make or break whether or not you try it out. But if you haven't yet, there's no such thing as being late to this party: chances are, it'll last a long, long time.

Recommended if you rock: Alexisonfire, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Andrew W.K.'s "Party Hard," That "Project X" movie