Death By Stereo are certainly a band that have had an eventful career to date, and not just in terms of the impressive albums they have produced. Having come though live show tragedy and the departure of bassist Paul Miner the band return to the musical arena with their fourth release, ‘Death For Life’
Now Death By Stereo have always been a band that have crossed and blurred genre boundaries and this latest release is no exception. The line between hardcore and metal has always been a hard one to judge and Death By Stereo have continually brought the two closer together. This is an album that harnesses the fury and intensity of hardcore and mixes it with the guitar solos and theatrics of metal.
‘Death For Life’ kicks off with the sonic blast that is ‘Binge/Purge’. A chorus of chanting gives way to expressive guitar lines and Efrem Schulz’s focused vocals. It’s a strong opener that channels the band’s anger to great effect. ‘I Give My Life’ showcases how the band can flip their persona around over the course of a song. Screaming, fast-paced verses meld into the more melodic chorus. The songs that make up ‘Death For Life’ are among the fiercest the band have produced thus far. The likes of ‘Entombed We Collide’ and the superb ‘Middle Fingers’ are destined to become live favourites.
It has to be pointed out though that if you are expecting another ‘Day Of The Death’ or even another ‘Into The Valley Of Death’ you will be a tad disappointed at first. Death By Stereo have moved on and the sound on this album is a different beast to what has come before. Sure, the basics are the same, but the dynamics have shifted. However, give this album a chance and it will grow and grow on you. Tracks like ‘Nosotros Controlamos Todo’ and ‘Don’t Piss On My Neck And Tell Me It’s Raining’ will win you over in no time. Closing track ‘This Is Not The End’ takes the band’s sound perilously close to Iron Maiden territory but the mixture of big solos, driving verses and a haunting chorus comes off a treat.
Whether you are a long term Death By Stereo fan or someone hearing the band for the first time this is an album that won’t fail to make an impact on you. The ever-morphing mixture of hardcore and metal continues to pay dividends for the band. With eleven songs packed full of intensity, fury, honesty, melody and old-fashioned theatrics, ‘Death For Life’ proves to be another great album by a great band.
Mark