review: Every Time I Die--The Big Dirty

When Every Time I Die released their full-length debut in 2001, they were among a promising handful of American metalcore outfits. Since then, the genre has grown so oversaturated with cookie-cutter clones that the term metalcore is now a dirty word to heavy music fans. Every Time I Die distinguish themselves from the pack on their fourth album, The Big Dirty, a record that succeeds by ignoring the tired conventions of its genre.

Frontman Keith Buckley eschews the emo croons and power balladry of his peers and instead belts balls-out rock melodies, catchy as hell and dripping with rancor. Melody has always been part of the singer’s arsenal, but never before has he sung in such a freewheeling fashion, and his increased confidence using clean vocals is palpable on tracks like “Buffalo Gals” and “Leatherneck.”

Even if Buckley remains most comfortable screaming bloody murder, it is not only the tone of his throaty barks, but the content of his unique, tongue-in-cheek lyrics that carries The Big Dirty. Buckley has a knack for injecting off-beat, sarcastic phrases into songs at just the right moments. “I smell a drop of beer in a ten-gallon tank and I’m moving in for the kill,” he bellows on “We’rewolf,” before launching into a sprawling chorus. Compared with the revenge invectives and vaguely ominous images favored by so many metal and hardcore bands, such quirky witticisms give Every Time I Die a distinct edge

In fact, it’s this rejection of metal’s typical self-seriousness that’s most refreshing about The Big Dirty; for the Buffalo quintet, heavy music and fun aren’t antonymous. This relative levity is most evident on “Rendez-Voodoo” and “A Gentleman’s Sport,” where Southern rock comes to the fore and guitarists Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams swagger with huge, headbanging riffs. Moreover, the record is peppered with allusions to partying and debauchery. This is not to say that The Big Dirty is a throwback to 80s hair metal; the riffs are too aggressive, the words too sardonic. But Every Time I Die add a certain playfulness to their pissed-off hardcore that never detracts from its urgency.

Although, at their most basic, the songs on The Big Dirty are still chugging hardcore tunes with heavy metal flourishes, it’s clear that Every Time I Die have larger (if not necessarily loftier) aspirations. This record is most exciting when open chord breakdowns and double bass pedal are supplanted by infectious melodies and actual grooves. And while it’s difficult to imagine the group abandoning their hardcore roots—and their fanbase—they remain only a few steps away from becoming a full-on rock n’ roll band. It’s tempting to ask, then: If they do go that route, just how big could these guys be?

Every Time I Die

The Big Dirty

Ferret