EVERY TIME I DIE

It is a shame that folks that have not really spent time with the band's music often lump Buffalo's EVERY TIME I DIE in with the hordes of metalcore pretenders. Forget about the fact that EVERY TIME I DIE has been doing it longer than most of these flavors of the month, but the music produced is based firmly in hardcore, yet with compositional twists, metallic intensity, and down 'n' dirty rock and roll. In short, what we have here is a quality heavy music act; always have been and probably always will be. Following up another fine release in "Gutter Phenomenon" with an even better album in "The Big Dirty", EVERY TIME I DIE shows once again that it can keep the compositions interesting, the lyrics proudly sardonic, and the music hard as a rock.

The one constant on "The Big Dirty" is the massive riffs of iron that anchor these bruising selections. Guitarists Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams bring the hard stuff right from the start and keep swinging those axes until all have been decapitated. Sometimes it is simply a matter of clearing the room and breaking it down to one guitar and a drum beat, such as on "Pigs is Pigs", sending a chill up the spine. Other times, it is the band's penchant for swinging groove parts, as "Buffalo Gals", "INRIhab", and "Rendez-voodoo" demonstrate", all three tunes featuring sections of singing, albeit urgently, from vocalist Keith Buckley.

Melodically speaking, there is nothing here that smacks of croon-core, the band always hitting with a vengeance, but songs like "We'rewolf" offer strong hooks and lyrics that remain etched in the brain. The chorus on this tune in particular is most memorable: "Which one of you sons of bitches is gonna make me feel alive / Which one of you motherfuckers is gonna get inside my heart?" A southern-esque boogie section on the track is another gem. Still, it is songs like "Rebel without Applause" that show the band's love of all things hardcore and aggressive. It is also one with yet another of Buckley's seemingly sarcastic lines: "I got a wife and kids and a hybrid car / I got a good life".

Yes, "The Big Dirty" is a rockin' son of a bitch of an album, and may go down as one of EVERY TIME I DIE's best efforts. This is a group that knows how to keep it heavy, keep you moving, and leave you drenched in sweat. It works like a charm.