Band: The Death in Me
Album: Dead Bones
Label: Unsigned
Release: 10.13.13
Reviewer: Brody
Tracklisting:
- The Lion and the Lamb
- Temptress
- Dead Bones
- Beloved Victim
- Overcomer
The Death in Me is a young metalcore band hailing from North Carolina who uses it’s aggressive, in your face energy as a means to connect spiritually with fans – Believers and non alike. “Dead Bones” is a great means to draw listeners in with it’s extremely catchy and accessible sound, never really crossing the boundaries of what an avid listener of metalcore would come to expect, yet performing the genre exceptionally well.
Kicking off with The Lion and the Lamb, The Death in Me fire on all cylinders. This track is probably the best to check out if a potential listener is looking for the overall vibe of the band. Featuring searing riffs, punchy drums, and snarling bass lines, The Lion and The Lamb is the perfect track to open “Dead Bones”. Vocalist Aaron Haskins has an incredibly menacing growl, which contrasts his beautifully penned lyrics quite nicely.
Temptress is introduced by a fierce bass line before the full band jumps in for what is one of the most relentless songs on the album. The musicianship throughout is incredibly tight knit as tremolo picked guitar leads swirl in and out of masterfully executed drums. Temptress is the first song on the album to display the clean vocal section The Death in Me has to offer. While the cleans seem a bit abruptly placed, once they have time to marinate, they fit quite nicely.
In some ways Dead Bones seems to act like an interlude on the EP. The track clocks in at only 2:17 and focuses very much on creating a brief, but emotional experience. Clean and screamed vocals share the spotlight as they trade back and forth frequently as the soundscape behind them add to the emotion, by creating a swirling and ambient buildup before reaching the crescendo.
Beloved Victim seems to be a track the band is incredibly proud of (And for good reason). Musically the band sounds like something that would not be out of place on Facedown Records roster as they mix up their riffs and arrangements, which keeps things interesting over the course of the track. Lyrically Haskins delves into the feelings of hopelessness as he proclaims,
“I can’t seem to find the words to wash me clean / I search and scrounge every page from whence you last returned”. However things turn around for the better as the song concludes with, “…Yet I hear Your whisper / ‘You’re never alone’ / Lord I feel You’re so close / I’m so close to returning home”.
“Dead Bones” concludes with the stripped down, acoustic song titled Overcomer. The song features little more than guitars and clean vocals, which shows off this young band’s talent and range in musical styles. The only real negative to the album closer is the fact that things never really change musically which causes things to get a bit stale towards the end of the track.
Overall: The Death in Me are a great find for anyone who, like me, loves to find an up and coming band and see them grow up into something truly special. With a combination of some time to mature and their already existent passion, I have no doubt these guys will be getting some interest from labels in no time.
RIYL: Sinners to Saints | Color Me Valiant | Onward to Olympas