Album Review: Every Time I Die-Ex Lives

Sometimes an album just sneaks up on you and completely blows past your expectations. The new Every Time I Die album Ex Lives is one of those albums. I was already excited (it was one of my most anticipated records of the first quarter of 2012), but nothing could prepare for me the beast that is Ex Lives.

Ex Lives is a monstrous record. From the opening seconds of the first track "Underwater Bimbos from Outer Space" (which seriously might be the best song title I've ever heard) when vocalist Keith Buckley screams "I want to be dead with my friends" you know you're in for a ride. "Underwater Bimbos" reminds me of kind of a throwback to Hot Damn!-era Every Time I Die, which was completely unexpected and awesome. The next few tracks serve as good/standard, but not exceptional Every Time I Die short tracks after the incendiary opener that is "Underwater Bimbo from Outer Space".  Once the album hits the fifth track "I Suck (Blood)" is when the magic of Ex Lives really starts.

The surprises and curveballs keep coming and the album just kicks into overdrive. After the really heavy riffing of the almost sludgey "I Suck (Blood)", comes the strangest and best track on the album "Partying is Such Sweet Sorrow". This track is just fucking bonkers in the best possible way. It starts off with a straight-up bluegrass intro (complete with banjo) and then soon develops into the typical Every Time I Die chaos. "Revival Mode" is yet another weird and awesome surprise. It might be the slowest song Every Time I Die has done and it works really well. It's catchy as hell and shows off just how good of a vocalist Keith Buckley is. The album comes to an end with "Indian Giver" another masterful piece of almost sludgey hardcore that wraps things up with a bang.

Ex Lives surpassed all expectations I had for it. The albums starts off good, but the second half is just remarkable. It throws a lot of new elements into their music without sacrificing their signature sound. Their relentless energy, groove, and stellar musicianship is on display throughout. Ex Lives is Every Time I Die's best record since at least Gutter Phenomenon, if not ever. I anticipate that I will be playing this record played non-stop for months to come.

4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Partying is Such Sweet Sorrow
2.I Suck (Blood)
3.Underwater Bimbos from Outer Space