Every Time I Die

End of the Year 2016: Best Guitar Duo’s

2016 is on the verge of ending. It’s been quite an interesting, strange, depressing and scary year. Despite all the divide across the land and countless other problems, 2016 was a great year for new albums. I have a feeling that with time, the music released this year, 2016,  will be one of those years that gave us classic albums.

To start things off for the first category of End Of The Year Lists, I’m going to make a list of the top 10 guitar duos in music. The stipulation is that, they have to have released an album this year.

I encourage you to vote for your favorite in the comments section. At the end of the month, I will release the results of the readers poll.

This list is also in NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!!

Top 10 Guitar Duo’s of 2016:

01) James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett- Metallica
02) Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams- Every Time I Die
03) Johnny Dang and Jordan McGhin- O’Brother
04) Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel- Killswitch Engage
05) Joe Duplantier and Christian Andreu- Gojira
06) Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till- Neurosis
07) Ben Weinman and Brent Hinds- Giraffe Tongue Orchestra
08) Brian “Head” Welch and James “Munky” Schaffer- Korn
09) Kemble Walters and Cory Clark- Aeges
10) James Moore and Mitch Wayte- Moving Structures

Album Review: Every Time I Die- Low Teens

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Nearly two decades into their career, Every Time I Die shows no signs of slowing down. Never a band to shy away from being unrelenting and punishing, their new album Low Teens is just that, only this time it’s more personal. Inspired by the events of a huge ordeal singer Keith Buckley and his wife went through when she was pregnant with their daughter, the lyrics on Low Teens provide a lot of insight into the push and pull of life and death. Armed with all these thoughts and perspective, vocally, this is one of Keith’s strongest performances. The accompanying music the rest of the band wrote fits perfectly with the theme of the album.

There is something else on this album that really makes this one stand out among their last couple releases and that is the dynamics. On this album, Every Time I Die has really found a great niche into exploring melody while still staying true to their heavy and hardcore roots. The guitar playing of Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams is groovy and rocking. The tones they have blend so well that it seems like a huge wall of guitars. Bassist Steve Micciche’s knack for writing thumping bass lines that don’t over power the guitars or Daniel Davidson’s pummeling drums. Speaking of the drums, new drummer Daniel Davidson (formerly of Norma Jean) fits in Every Time I Die perfectly. It’s as though he’s been in the band for years the way he plays.

From opening song “Fear and Trembling” all the way through to closer “Map Change,” there is not one bit of filler on this album. Each song fits and is meant to be here. Even the order of songs is impeccable. Other songs like “C++ (Love Will Get You Killed),” “Glitches,” “Two Summers,” “Petal,” “The Coin Has A Say,” are stellar. Even the song “It Remembers” which features Brandon Urie of Panic At The Disco is an absolute great song. The production on this album is a great fit for them as well. Their previous album From Parts Unknown just didn’t have the feel of an Every Time I Die record. I always thought that Steve Evetts and Joe Baressi were the best people to capture what Every Time I Die is, but on this album Will Putney joins those two gentlemen in that category.

In all honesty this is one hell of an album. Every Time I Die has further cemented their legacy not just as a heavy band but as great songwriters. I highly suggest buying this album and seeing them live when they come to your town. You won’t be disappointed in your decision to do either.

Overall Rating= A

Every Time I Die- Low Teens:

 

 

 

Album Rank: Every Time I Die

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In anticipation of Every Time I Die releasing their new album Low Teens this week, I thought it would be a good time to revisit all their albums and rank them for you all. So here you go from not their best to the best.

 

Gutter Phenomenon:

 

Last Night In Town:

 

From Parts Unknown:

 

Ex Lives:

 

The Big Dirty:

 

Low Teens:

 

 

New Junk Asthetic:

 

Hot Damn:

 

 

Anticipated Album: Every Time I Die- Low Teens

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Every Time I Die has been one of the most consistent heavy bands in the last 10 plus years. Their new album Low Teens comes out in September. Here are a couple tracks from their upcoming album.

C++ (Love Will Get You Killed):

 

Glitches:

 

The Coin Has A Say:

Album Review: Every Time I Die- From Parts Unknown

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After countless years on the road and upping their game on every album, Every Time I Die seemed to have found the perfect balance of all that worked for them in the past. Teaming up with producer Kurt Ballou of Converge, From Parts Unknown is an unrelenting and cohesive album. All the things that make this band enjoyable is found throughout this album. The production is still raw but has a new approach to make certain instruments more prevalent in the songs and the vocals more coherent. Their previous album Ex Lives with producer Joe Barresi started the band on this track. Clocking in at 31 minutes, the 12 songs are full of introspective lyrics and memorable thrash/hardcore, some of the time adding a solid groove or a melodic tinge.

First track “The Great Secret” has all the above mentioned and then some. This song really kicks things off with a bang. “Decayin With The Boys” is classic Every Time I Die with bits of melody. “If There Is Room To Move, Things Move” is ferocious in its thrashy hardcore roots. “Thirst” is an aggressive heavy song with awesome breakdowns and a real attitude. “The Great Secret” has a Converge vibe to it along with a really heavy groove. “El Dorado” shifts gears a bit and is more of a melodic rock song with a 90’s guitar sound. “Overstayer” is the weakest track on the album. There really isn’t anything that is great about this song. “Moor” is a real departure for the band. Starting with a piano intro that melds very well with Keith Buckley’s clean vocals really showcases the band’s songwriting and ability to be diverse. This song is a real stand out. “Exomotorium” is a solid groove/hardcore song. “Pelican Of The Desert” is heavy and full of energy. It also features a guest vocal cameo from Sean Ingram of Coalesce. “All Structures Are Unstable” is a solidly good melodic hardcore song. Closing out the album is “Old Light” featuring Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem. This song has the cleanest vocals on any Every Time I Die song ever. Musically it goes from a rock song to classic ETID.

All in all From Parts Unknown is dynamic and full of greatness. With the exception of one song, it is a stellar album. Every Time I Die has a knack for putting out solid material and this is no different. I would even dare to say that this album is a statement to all those that try to do what they do but always fall short. On the scale of 1-10, I’d give this an 8.5.

 

 

By: Brian Lacy

Underrated and Influential Part 3: Only Living Witness

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There are certain areas in America that have spawned new sounds of music. Seattle had grunge, the San Francisco had thrash metal, New York had a punk revolution, and Boston, Massachusetts had hardcore. One of the most underrated bands yet very influential bands that came from the area was Only Living Witness. The band was formed in 1989 by Jonah Jenkins (vocals) Eric Stevenson (drums), Kevin Stevenson (guitar) and Kevin Costa (bass). In 1991, Kevin Stevenson and Costa were replaced by Craig Silverman and Chris Crowley. Only Living Witness was signed to Century Media Records. Their debut  Prone Mortal Form was released in 1993. The songs VTA and December are classic standouts. They embraced the hardcore roots with a melodic edge to them In 1996 their follow-up CD Innocents was released, but the band had already split up. Songs like Strata, Knew Her Gone, Total Particle Reversal and Downpour continue the melodic hardcore vibe but goes beyond with an added presence of more melody. Only Living Witness briefly reformed in 2008 for four reunion shows: 3 in Massachusetts and 1 in the Netherlands. After being in Only Living Witness Jonah Jenkins went on to perform the vocal duties in Miltown, Milligram and Raw Radar War. Craig Silverman now plays in Slapshot and is the touring guitarist in Blood For Blood. Eric Stevenson, main composer and drummer, died on August 9, 2011, at the age of 43.

Only Living Witness has left a mark on modern hardcore. Their influence of their vocal styles, riffs and drum patterns is very noticeable in many bands. Bands like Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, Every Time I Die, and others all have a lot to owe to the guys in Only Living Witness. One of the best things that have come from this band was their injection of a sense of melody into such heavy music.

December:

Strata:

https://www.facebook.com/onlylivingwitness

By: Brian Lacy