Every Time I Die
"Gutter phenomenon" is a term that was used in the 1950s to describe rock ''n roll music. It was society's reaction, at the time, to a style of music it considered 'sinful.' Rock music was actually viewed as a discredit to American society. The people at the time believed that rock music would lead to people's downfall. They thought rock ?n roll would never last.
Fast-forward 50 years, and rock 'n roll is still a thriving force of expression. However, when any music scene or culture flourishes and prospers, it can become watered down and generic, populated with more than a few been-there, done-that sounding bands, many of which are passionless and are there with sole purpose of cashing in. Every Time I Die understands this reality, and aims to shatter it. They're making rock music new, exciting and dangerous again.
If there is any band out there that will change the face of rock 'n roll underground? if there is any band that will claw their way to the top while expunging current preconceptions about rock music, it's Buffalo's Every Time I Die.
Armed with two formidable assault weapons ? their breath stealing new album, titled Gutter Phenomenon, and their devastating, enthralling live shows- this upstate New York wrecking crew are poised to redefine underground heavy music as we know it.
Since the release of 2003's Hot Damn!, ETID, featuring vocalist Keith Buckley, drummer Michael "Ratboy" Novak, guitarists Andy Williams and Jordan Buckley, and bassist Stephen Micciche, have enjoyed stints on Ozzfest 2004's second stage, as well as sharing the stage, and selling out venues, with Dillinger Escape Plan, Lamb Of God, Unearth, and As I Lay Dying. Hot Damn! was a breakthrough record for ETID, and was the record that turned people's heads. But Gutter Phenomenon is the Every Time I Die Record, quite possibly the yardstick by which their career will be measured.
"The last record made people notice us," says singer/wily lyricist Buckley. "This record will keep people's heads turned in our direction. We have memorable parts, and choruses, and hooks that are so much more memorable and show that we have graduated to a profound level, as musicians. We're not just throwing riffs together."
Buckley's not kidding. On Gutter Phenomenon, ETID have taken the subtle Southern riff influence, which can be detected by a finely trained and tuned ear on Hot Damn!, and made it a crucial elements of their sound. Dirty guitar tones are quite prominent throughout Gutter Phenomenon. "We listen to a lot of Motorhead, Black Crowes, and Thin Lizzy," Buckley freely admits. "We got into the groove. The scene we're a part of is inundated with hardcore bands, so we listened to classic rock." Buckley also took vocal lessons to expand his range, and he pulls off things he never thought he could, vocally-speaking, because of his training. He says his style is now "exactly what I've been trying to do, and now I'm doing right."
Songwriting was also a key focus on Gutter Phenomenon, which was recorded at The Machine Shop in New Jersey, with Machine (Clutch, Lamb Of God). "We worked on arrangements, instead of plopping riffs next to riffs. We focused on the psychology on how people listen, and what they remember when they listen." Sure, this might seem like ETID are pulling some Jedi mind tricks, but really, this technique helped Gutter Phenomenon became their most well written work to date.
"It is mature," Buckley exclaims, when asked if he thinks that ETID have grown up and developed. "But it still has the lyrics that are as cynical and sarcastic as ever." So just because Every Time I Die have grown up a little, they haven't lost their notorious sense of humor, and their biting, intelligently acidic lyrical bend nor have they given up their crazy on-stage antics.
"It's too easy to rest on your laurels and make the same record again," Buckley says. "We have the right to not make sense, but you can only do that for so long. We want to stand out as a band. So many sounds the same. Look at the Hellfest line up. There are 100,000 bands, and unless you're a headliner, you have to find some way to stand out, and you can't stand out just by being a spastic metal band. You can't just worry about the last live performance you gave. A record has to hold your attention, and you can't be remembered only while you're performing." Lucky for ETID, not only does their record hold you hostage with its blazing intensity, so do their performances.
As for the record's stand out tracks, there's "Guitared And Feathered," a prototypical ETID song, but it's "bigger" than anything they've ever done, so says Buckley. "The New Black" kicks off with the sound of a beer can being cracked open, while "Champing At The Bit" has 4-part harmonies. Obviously, ETID are doing things to kidnap your attention, and keep it, with their new stuff.
Critics and fans may think that the cold, snowy, and oft uninspired region of Buffalo where the members of ETID hang their hats is what fuels their fierce creativity. In a way, Buckley agrees. "Buffalo birthed really good bands, from Goo Goo Dolls to Snapcase," the singer explains. "It's a mess here. Everyone is leaving the city, so there has to be a creative outlet, and bands are popping up because of it. It's depressing here. There's a sense of hopelessness, and it's like a theme that hits the band, but that kind of hopelessness is not going to last forever."
Gutter Phenomenon is one of those records they're going to be talking about for years after its release. It's going to push Every Time I Die even further on the map. They're going to talk about the great bands from Buffalo and they're going to say, "Oh, Buffalo produced great bands, like Goo Goo Dolls and Every Time I Die." When they, be it the kids, rock historians, or critics, talk about some of 2005's break out bands and albums, Gutter Phenomenon and Every Time I Die will undoubtedly top their lists.
So, whether or not you subscribe to the belief that rock 'n roll is a gutter phenomenon that's an unsightly scar on the face of American society, one thing's for certain. Every Time I Die have arrived, and their Gutter Phenomenon will slay all opposition in its path, and make converts out of non-believers. There's no escape, so get on board now.
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