I know the album came out weeks ago, but so I thought, HEY why not talk about this album, because I have more albums to talk about today, before I get into today's episode of General Hospital. So here ya go.....
From Parts Unknown is Every Time I Die's seventh full-length, yet it comes out of nowhere like a debut - feeling desperate, ferocious, and raw. You can attribute that feeling to producer (and Converge guitarist) Kurt Ballou, whom undoubtedly challenged and pushed the veteran band to the limit at Godcity Studios. Enlisting a producer of Ballou's stature could only mean one thing regarding LP7 a complete deconstruction of metalcore's status quo. From Parts Unknown is stuffed with various twists and turns and sudden stylistic changes tastefully mixed in with absolutely brutal compositions and utterly bleak lyricism. "The Great Secret" lets the cat out of the bag instantly, as Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams unleashing an unforgiving wave of thrash while Keith Buckley candidly screams, Blow your fucking brains out. "Pelican Of The Desert" and "Overstayer" are quick two minute bursts of pure vengeance, with "Overstayer" headlining a distraught Buckley pleading, What in the fuck am I doing here/Why did the rapture not take me in/It is my curse to carry on, over a cataclysmic breakdown.
When it comes to fan interaction there’s two responses that elicit the most disdain from bands that have more albums than current members. There’s of course the social media staple of ‘when are you playing a show here?’, but perhaps most infuriating is the disparaging call to ‘play your old songs.’
A lot of bases are covered throughout the album, almost acting like the anthology of the several penchants ETID have when composing their metalcore; but of course, this is all brand new stuff. The album is primarily embedded in the ever-shifting and frenetic hardcore havoc, with songs like "The Great Secret," "Pelican of the Desert," "If There Is Room to Move, Things Move," "Thirst," and the oh so appropriately titled "All Structures Are Unstable" with continuously contorting measurements that move you by their own accord, whipping you around like a rag doll. "Exometrium" is where EITD shows off their top notch mathcore chops, with twisting guitar riffs that boast equal parts intelligence and insanity, and "Decayin' With the Boys" and "El Dorado" is where ETID turns on the southern swagger but while the rough & tumble guitar riffs and clean vocals make for a nice breather from the metalcore mayhem, the prolonged outro riffing in "El Dorado" drags on for a while and feels more than necessary. With "Moor"ETID pulls a strange but captivating "black sheep" track from their sleeve, which bears a "Jekyll and Hyde"-esque format tenuously keeping itself contained with a grumbling piano line and frontman Keith Buckley's seemingly innocuous vocals, but soon changes into a loud and unhinged metalcore counterpart, then going back to the subdued first part again, oblivious to its own outburst. And with the closing song, "Idiot," ETID pack in everything that's to like about their music; from meaty guitar licks and tricky technical riffage, to shredding tremolo, exceptional guitar layering and grade-A breakdowns.
One wouldn’t be wrong to have cited Every Time I Die to have occasionally been too brainy in the past. “From Parts Unknown” however feels like a gut reaction. A resounding statement that sixteen years in these road tested vets are still brave enough to go toe to toe with the young guns attempting to claim their throne and soundly win.
Conclusion, ETID show utmost adamancy for their take on metalcore, continuing to travel down the less-beaten path they've been traveling on for the past decade without relenting to the peer pressure of the mainstream-friendly style of metalcore that numerous old-schoolers point the blame at for ruining the Vans Warped Tour franchise and the metalcore scene in general. "From Parts Unknown," while utilizing the fusion of styles that ETID fans are well-acquainted with and love, is a testament of how intricate and frenetic metalcore songs used to be before the djent-style became the overwhelming majority ETID's inspiration came from parts that seem nearly unknown to the current metalcore generation. If ETID's songs are too fast and winding for you, too bad either keep up or get left behind. "From Parts Unknown" is like a wild bronco, unpredictable, constantly bucking, and not concerned with your comfort.
From Parts Unknown is Every Time I Die's seventh full-length, yet it comes out of nowhere like a debut - feeling desperate, ferocious, and raw. You can attribute that feeling to producer (and Converge guitarist) Kurt Ballou, whom undoubtedly challenged and pushed the veteran band to the limit at Godcity Studios. Enlisting a producer of Ballou's stature could only mean one thing regarding LP7 a complete deconstruction of metalcore's status quo. From Parts Unknown is stuffed with various twists and turns and sudden stylistic changes tastefully mixed in with absolutely brutal compositions and utterly bleak lyricism. "The Great Secret" lets the cat out of the bag instantly, as Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams unleashing an unforgiving wave of thrash while Keith Buckley candidly screams, Blow your fucking brains out. "Pelican Of The Desert" and "Overstayer" are quick two minute bursts of pure vengeance, with "Overstayer" headlining a distraught Buckley pleading, What in the fuck am I doing here/Why did the rapture not take me in/It is my curse to carry on, over a cataclysmic breakdown.
When it comes to fan interaction there’s two responses that elicit the most disdain from bands that have more albums than current members. There’s of course the social media staple of ‘when are you playing a show here?’, but perhaps most infuriating is the disparaging call to ‘play your old songs.’
A lot of bases are covered throughout the album, almost acting like the anthology of the several penchants ETID have when composing their metalcore; but of course, this is all brand new stuff. The album is primarily embedded in the ever-shifting and frenetic hardcore havoc, with songs like "The Great Secret," "Pelican of the Desert," "If There Is Room to Move, Things Move," "Thirst," and the oh so appropriately titled "All Structures Are Unstable" with continuously contorting measurements that move you by their own accord, whipping you around like a rag doll. "Exometrium" is where EITD shows off their top notch mathcore chops, with twisting guitar riffs that boast equal parts intelligence and insanity, and "Decayin' With the Boys" and "El Dorado" is where ETID turns on the southern swagger but while the rough & tumble guitar riffs and clean vocals make for a nice breather from the metalcore mayhem, the prolonged outro riffing in "El Dorado" drags on for a while and feels more than necessary. With "Moor"ETID pulls a strange but captivating "black sheep" track from their sleeve, which bears a "Jekyll and Hyde"-esque format tenuously keeping itself contained with a grumbling piano line and frontman Keith Buckley's seemingly innocuous vocals, but soon changes into a loud and unhinged metalcore counterpart, then going back to the subdued first part again, oblivious to its own outburst. And with the closing song, "Idiot," ETID pack in everything that's to like about their music; from meaty guitar licks and tricky technical riffage, to shredding tremolo, exceptional guitar layering and grade-A breakdowns.
One wouldn’t be wrong to have cited Every Time I Die to have occasionally been too brainy in the past. “From Parts Unknown” however feels like a gut reaction. A resounding statement that sixteen years in these road tested vets are still brave enough to go toe to toe with the young guns attempting to claim their throne and soundly win.
Conclusion, ETID show utmost adamancy for their take on metalcore, continuing to travel down the less-beaten path they've been traveling on for the past decade without relenting to the peer pressure of the mainstream-friendly style of metalcore that numerous old-schoolers point the blame at for ruining the Vans Warped Tour franchise and the metalcore scene in general. "From Parts Unknown," while utilizing the fusion of styles that ETID fans are well-acquainted with and love, is a testament of how intricate and frenetic metalcore songs used to be before the djent-style became the overwhelming majority ETID's inspiration came from parts that seem nearly unknown to the current metalcore generation. If ETID's songs are too fast and winding for you, too bad either keep up or get left behind. "From Parts Unknown" is like a wild bronco, unpredictable, constantly bucking, and not concerned with your comfort.