Ironycore’s flag-wavers get serious-and awesome.

Every Time I Die - The Big Dirty

[4/5]

Despite all the shit we received for giving Every Time I Die's Gutter Phenomenon a 2-out-of-5 rating in AP 208, it's something this music editor still stands by. At the time, the Buffalo, New York, group had completely mastered their just-ironic-enough Southern-rock-meets-metalcore aesthetic. The problem? The music wasn't memorable enough to hold up against the image. Seriously, most people who consider themselves Every Time I Die fans would be hard-pressed to recall any melodies off that record except for "Kill The Music" and "The New Black." (Oh, there was that "Hey, girls-I'm a cunt!" song, too.) After a while, it all just blended together.

Thankfully, this is not the case whatsoever with The Big Dirty. While many longtime ETID fans crave a return to the perfect mixture of aggression and swagger the group nailed on 2003's Hot Damn!, The Big Dirty goes back even further and draws much of its brutality from their first LP, 2001's Last Night In Town. The guitar parts are much more complex and angular (see opening track "No Son Of Mine," with Blood Brothers-esque noodling in its midsection); the hardcore breakdowns are effectively placed and simply punishing ("Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Battery"); and the little things, like the dental-drill whir that kicks off "Pigs Is Pigs" or the cowbell lead-in for "We'rewolf" just feel right.

One thing you've probably noticed absent is any mention of frontman Keith Buckley's clean singing parts-something the band have become known for in recent years. That's because for the majority of the album, it's nonstop guttural yells. However, there are enough tracks featuring his pipes that if the album were re-sequenced, it would make casual fans happier: "Leatherneck" is a Hot Damn!-era sing-along with Buckley howling at the moon in the chorus, and "We'rewolf" is a hell of a rager with cleaner vocals than most (but still plenty gravelly); and "Rendez-Voodoo" is as catchy and instantly memorable as any of Queens Of The Stone Age's best songs (featuring Buckley's vocals at their career best), just a bit more dirty.

Dirty. If the album title didn't tip you off, that's what you're going to find. Dirty riffage from guitarists Andy Williams and Jordan Buckley; dirty breakdowns from drummer Michael Novak; and even a dirty duet about crawling in bed with the devil (played by Alexisonfire's Dallas Green). Living up to its title, The Big Dirty is as tiring as it is exhilarating-the band might do well to package a moistened towelette with the first pressing so you can wipe yourself off between listens. Scott Heisel

ROCKS LIKE:
The Blood Brothers' Burn, Piano Island, Burn
Every Time I Die's Last Night In Town
Queens Of The Stone Age's Era Vulgaris

TRACKLISTING:
1. No Son Of Mine
2. Pigs Is Pigs
3. Leatherneck
4. We'rewolf
5. Rebel Without Applause
6. Cities And Years
7. Rendez-Voodoo
8. A Gentleman's Sport
9. INRIhab
10. Depressionista
11. Buffalo Gals
12. Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Battery

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 4


Official Website: http://www.everytimeidie.com


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