The eighth and latest instalment in the Every Time I Die catalogue sees the execution of a hugely diverse yet altogether cohesive and emotion-driven riff-fest in Low Teens. The New Yorkers stick firmly to their winning recipe of fast, conventional metal core with clear Southern and Classic Rock undertones, delivering perhaps one of the stand-out metal albums of the year.

Musically-speaking, it is the direct use of riffs, note selection and voicing so unapologetically borrowed from an earlier era of rock that sets this band apart from the rest of the metal and hardcore crowd. ‘It Remembers’, a track drenched in 90s sludge metal riffs, encapsulates this notion perfectly, whilst the song ‘Two Summers’ directly echoes the guitar-work of a certain Kim Thayil of Soundgarden. However, the frantic transitions and erratic structure of nearly every song on the album ensure that it firmly belongs to the metal/hardcore classification.

In terms of vocals, Keith Buckley maintains a palpable restlessness and aggression throughout the album, as his screaming and yelling really carry straightforward metal core tracks such as ‘Glitches’ in a manner similar to that of The Dillinger Escape Plan or Architects. However, in this record, it is his intelligent, clean phrasing that conveys his desperation and passion, something that really takes the music to another level.

Desperation is a key lyrical sentiment in this album. Buckley almost lost his wife to post-natal complications during the writing process, and this features in the song ‘C++ (Love Will Get You Killed)’, in which he sings of “a helplessness you would not believe”. This deeply personal theme really elevates the lyrical content of the album. He also touches on the Paris terror attacks and how it reminded him of his own mortality in the song ‘Glitches’, in which he exclaims “I saw the end and I was truly afraid”.

Overall, Low Teens is a really accomplished record from a truly authentic band.

Louis Juhasz