Every Time I Die
Ex Lives
Release Date: Mar 6, 2012
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Screamo
Record label: Epitaph
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Album Review: Ex Lives by Every Time I Die
Excellent, Based on 6 Critics
Based on rating 9/10
Question: Is 'Ex Lives' any good?Answer: What the fuck do you think? After what feels like an eternity in the relative wilderness, it comes as somewhat of a relief that Every Time I Die are back doing what they do best. Following nearly three years away, the band’s sixth album sees the Buffalo mob picking up where they left off, churning out huge, filthy slabs of hardcore punk and whiskey-soaked rock ‘n’ roll with an energy and swagger matched by few. From the chaotic opening of ‘Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space’ to the surprisingly slow-paced stagger of ‘Revival Mode’, this is a deafening, destructive and devilishly diverse affair, serving as a firm and timely reminder that when it comes to this particular game, nobody does it quite like this.
Based on rating 8/10
A fire has been re-kindled in the heart of one of the most enigmatic bands in contemporary music. Every Time I Die return to action with Ex Lives and explode with new found artistic drive and passion. Long term fans may be surprised by an unexpected return to the schizophrenic down-tuned fury that encapsulated hardcore flash-bang Hot Damn!, but acting as a counter-balance to the ferocity comes some of the finest songwriting of the band’s career.
Based on rating 7/10
One of the better bands to emerge from the post-Converge metalcore explosion, Every Time I Die continue to merge hardcore punk fury with metal guitar heroics on their sixth album, Ex Lives. While the bulk of the album is filled with the kind of intense, emotionally explosive fits of musical violence that fans have come to expect, the moments where the album gets really interesting are the ones where the band takes the time to do some exploring. "Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow" evokes the sweat-drenched rock of bands like Hot Snakes, giving listeners a respite from rigorous technicality with some a little looser while keeping the spirit of the band's sound intact.
Opinion: Excellent
This sixth studio set might just be Buffalo hardcore crew ETID’s greatest album yet. Raziq Rauf 2012 It’s something that Josh Homme has spoken about with Queens of the Stone Age: music that’s hard enough for guys, but sweet enough for their girlfriends. That’s what Every Time I Die have perfected with Ex Lives, the Buffalo-founded band’s sixth album.
Opinion: Very Good
Every Time I Die are the rare band that manage to release distinct sounding albums while maintaining a recognizable thread running throughout. Their newest release, Ex Lives, finds the group returning to their chaotic roots, with more unrestrained riffs and micro-blast beats than on recent releases. The band break up the chaos with singer Keith Buckley's clean vocals, which are stronger than ever after a stint fronting the Damned Things.
Opinion: Mediocre
It seems incongruous to refer to a metalcore band as ‘veterans’; maybe it’s a sign of age, but it just feels wrong in a genre so defined by energy and recklessness. Yet, it has somehow been twelve years since Every Time I Die’s debut EP, and nine years since they burst into the alternative consciousness with their sophomore album, ‘Hot Damn!’. It was an album wrought with restless, dangerous power, a mix of punk attitude, hardcore riffs and metal chops, filled with tongue-in-cheek humour and a combination of melody and power that heralded great potential.
'Ex Lives'
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