Every Time I Die, the Buffalo, New York, quintet signed to Epitaph, are masters of their craft. Produced by Will Putney, this eighth studio offering entitled Low Teens finds the boys pushing forward ever further toward perfection, and my Lord, is it a dark journey. You see, this isn’t the Every Time I Die of old. Sure, the grooves, riffs, and pummeling are all still there (the Southern sounds even return!), but this album is something altogether more menacing and dangerous. Written in response to, and as escape from, vocalist Keith Buckley’s extremely close call with losing his wife and daughter, this album churns out some of the best songs of ETID’s career, but at the cost of being the darkest audio outputs for them by far. Not that that’s a gripe. In fact, it’s quite praiseworthy. Buckley’s wife and daughter are both doing well, fortunately, but the fact that this collection of uncertainty and agony still continues to raise the bar for not just ETID, but for hardcore as a whole, shows just how powerfully cathartic the mere attempt of making sense of the Beyond can be.

Fear and Trembling– Starting this album off in the most malevolent way, guitarists Jordan and Andy opt for a slow, unhinged and burgeoning riff, building the palpable tension that continues to suffocate the listener until the full band comes together to offer heaviness as a reprieve. Even then, the menace still has its claws around the listener’s throat, tightening the choke hold in a lurching fashion that suddenly clamps shut with a guest spot from Tim Singer of the band Deadguy to seal the deal. Certainly not for those who suffer from claustrophobia, because this song is that dread in audio form. 10/10

Glitches- Finally breaking the tension of Fear and Trembling, Glitches is one of the most Every Time I Die sounding songs on this album. It’s no wonder this was one of the pre-release singles, as every second of it bleeds that certain brand of groove/throttle that fans have come to crave from the band. The drums pound, the bass swirls, the guitars riff harder than anything else known to man, and the clever lyrics of Keith cleave all in such a highly-honed way, it’s easy to forget this band has been around for nearly 20 years. 10/10

C++ (Love Will Get You Killed)- I’ll admit, when I first heard this track, I was skeptical of how the clean vocals translated. Then I listened to it again, and again, and again. And my doubts were erased. It’s the equivalent of a train moving along steadily, when the conductor suddenly dies, falls on the accelerator, and the train then careens off the tracks at full speed (In the best possible way, of course!). What at first spin sounds like just another furious rocker instead is a lesson in build-up. It seems every other measure amps up the urgency until the whole band is unchained and thrashing away at the universe. 9/10

Two Summers- This is the closest thing to ETID’s “party-sounding” songs that anyone gets off of this record. Cherish how (comparatively) happy this sounds, because this is it. It’s southern metal as it should be done, hitting every target, from the entirely crooned story-like lyrics, the almost Skynyrd riffing, and, of course, the cowbell! It’s like if Phil Anselmo’s Down focused on rocking out instead of just the drugs. 8/10

Awful Lot- It seems a metric ton of sludge was dredged up from the bayou of Two Summers, because Awful Lot is covered in , well, an awful lot of it.Whatever this behemoth is, it swings its black tendrils with such force that it’s impossible to contain. Indeed, Andy and Jordan’s guitar work seems to be the aural manifestation of this swamp thing, for with every pinch harmonic squeal, images of this beast on a rampage crash into the listener’s mind, and with the final seconds the creature is tamed by the haunting strains of a piano that strikes melancholy into the air. 10/10

I Didn’t Want to Join Your Stupid Cult Anyway– A song that was teased about four months ago, this track was certainly one to which I was looking forward. It did not disappoint whatsoever. It’s thrashy, and throws itself off the walls with chaotic fury reminiscent of If There’s Room to Move, Things Move from the band’s previous album. What separates this track, however, is how clever it is. Repetition runs amok throughout this song, from the first verse, the chant of “hey!,” and the “drink up,” among many others. I have no doubt that the indoctrination through mantras process of cults factored into how the lyrics are delivered. 10/10

It Remembers- Holy crap, this song is great. Featuring a guest spot from… Brendon Urie of Panic! At the Disco? (Fun fact: ETID has had guest vocal spots from Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, and with Urie they have completed their Circle of Emo Parity) This track grooves harder than all get out. Seriously, it’s impossible to not bob one’s head when this He is Legend tribute is playing. Probably my third favorite track off this album. 10/10

Petal- And here we have my favorite. This song showcases the brilliance of both Keith and bassist Steve in the most gut-wrenching, heart-rending ways. Steve summons Hot Damn! era ETID for the bridge, and Keith sounds like a mortally wounded, baleful wolf. It’s exquisitely painful to hear; the anguish, self-loathing, and rage rip apart the ears, and I’d be lying if I said that it hasn’t given me goosebumps every single time. I’m glad his wife and daughter are okay, because everything on this track makes the void look well-lit, and me want to have a crisis hotline on speed dial. 11/10

The Coin Has a Say- The other quintessentially Every Time I Die track of the album, The Coin Has a Say was the perfect choice for both the lead single and to showcase the new addition of Daniel Davison (of Norma Jean, Underoath). Davison had big shoes to fill after Leg$’ departure, but anyone who questioned (but why would they?) should be directed immediately to this song. I’m so glad that I had the last few months to blast this in my car, because everything, drum-work especially, makes this the perfect song for speeding. It’s actually impossible to go under 70 mph while listening to this song. 10/10

Religion of Speed- Beginning with an acoustic intro, this track explodes into head banging-inducing riffs before one even knows what hit them. This song has so much to offer that it brings about my only gripe for this album (and it’s minor, don’t worry!). As with every single track on this album, this one deserves to be heard, but it’s the only one that needs to be listened to. Melody segues into aggression that transforms into groove that then tackles the listener into the dirt of a breakdown. There’s so much to process here, that if the listener relegates attention for one second too long, the song has passed by already, which gives the illusion of a disjointed song. But it’s completely the opposite. It’s grandiose, yes, but giving this track one’s undivided attention makes it the most rewarding on the album. 7/10

Just as Real, But Not as Brightly Lit- This is Every Time I Die’s offering to the gods of Rock. Jordan and Andy steal the show here, but don’t count out the rest of the band. While the focus is certainly on the (in my opinion) best guitar work this band has to offer, Daniel, Keith, and Steve step up to ensure that there are no weak links. This song is the band firing on every cylinder, and the resulting mayhem places the spotlight (Sorry!) on the power of the Riff. Second favorite track. 10/10

1977- A neck brace should come with this track, because I’ve never wanted to bang my head so hard in my life. Clearly someone in the band took notes from Slayer, as evident in the first verse, but as quickly as that’s featured, the band returns to full-ETID mode. And it is glorious. With ‘roided out callbacks to Floater, the band builds finally to one of the best breakdowns they’ve ever recorded to bring the listener to the final song. 10/10

Map Change- In a how to guide of album closers, this song is the example used. It’s epic in scope, it’s dynamic, and it simply feels final. Keith’s resigned despondency brings tears to the listener’s eyes, while the rest of the band does their best to persuade him off the ledge. It’s both haunting in its melody, and unrelenting in its heaviness, and with it the end is truly seen. 10/10

Overall Score: 125/130 A+

For fans of: Old Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, old Down, Pantera, old and new He is Legend, ETID (obviously), raw and genuine emotion