Album: Every Time I Die - Radical [2021]

 

I knew nothing about Every Time I Die going into this, but even before I heard a single second of the record I already found it super interesting, mostly for it's strange visual appeal and the general inexplicable hype around the band itself. I looked at the record one day, decided that a band with such an edgy name yet such a playful album title could be fun, and threw in my hourglass.

Boy was I not ready for something so unique. In fact, it was so different I found it hard to take in at first, but as I've learnt with most bands that end up being favourites, the best complexities take time to soak in. There were some moments that hit the mark from the get-go, but I slowly and surely fell in love with more and more of this excellently designed record with every new listen. Now, in the aftermath of the band's end, I'm both blissfully enjoying the musicianship of this record and simultaneously being slightly sad there's not going to be anymore of this.

Dark Distance makes a bold first impression to any new listener, and while I have yet to listen to any of their older material, I'll boldly assume they're always this daring. This tinge of cynicism that they have orbiting around this album spice up their strong messages in every track, justifying their record title. Planet Shit throws down with a grinding mix of funky metalcore licks, chunky breakdowns, unconventional rhythms, bold statements and distinct powerhouse screamage. It's a wonder that in the midst of all that, they can wring out an impressive number of memorable moments.

The spiritual brutal twins A Colossal Wreck and All This And War were my first favourites, with such a remarkable heaviness rarely achieved at this caliber in metalcore, whilst embodying so much rage the soundwaves might as well break out of the speakers and start punching people. Although I've begun to appreciate their creativity in other tracks more, these two have remained bangers.

Thing With Feathers didn't feel right at first, seemingly out of place in the tracklist, but at some point something clicked and it made so much sense being here. A tragic tribute to lead singer Keith Buckley's sister, the soul-touching ballad paints the other sides of all these pictures in this album. Raw and human, yet wise in retrospect and mournful in respect, it's a refreshing break in the album experience.

Hostile Architecture and AWOL have some ballistic rhythms and rhymes that are executed so well and so stylistically that I feel this is where they stand out the most. This flavour of musicality is one I feel I've never tasted before from any other band, ever. The way they pair the screams and instruments like cheese and wine is immaculate. On the equally impeccable flipside, the clean singing in White Void and People Verses are blissful, whether tinted in nihilism or inspiration. Now having spun the record countless times, these songs have become some of my favourites melody-wise.

All in all, it's just a sparse yet connected collection of mad scientist tracks, many which hit the mark they set out for, even though none of the marks are anywhere close to each other. In the shadow of the band's downfall, I can see now why so many other bands and music lovers loved them so much and paid their tributes, Every Time I Die truly has a magical touch for their musicality.

Rating: 10/10

Tracklist:

1. Dark Distance

2. Sly

3. Planet Shit

4. Post-Boredom

5. A Colossal Wreck

6. Desperate Pleasures

7. All This And War (feat. Josh Scogin of '68)

8. Thing With Feathers (feat. Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra)

9. Hostile Architecture

10. AWOL

11. The Whip

12. White Void

13. Distress Rehearsal

14. sexsexsex

15. People Verses

16. We Go Together

Lyric Of The Week 13: House of Memories

 "If you're a lover you should know, the lonely moments just get lonelier the longer you're in love than if you were alone."

Panic! At The Disco - House of Memories, from the album Death of a Bachelor

Song: Berried Alive - Strawberry Serenity [The Mixgrape, 2021]

 

One of the most unique technical guitarworks out there has to be from Berried Alive. Charles melodic design and pure technical prowess is unbelievable, almost inhuman. Yet, he pumps out bangers as if they were as easy as pressing a button labelled "Make Good Music". Their latest record has some of their best work, a testament to how they keep getting even ridiculously better, and its a hard thing to have to choose just one to say is the best, but Strawberry Serenity is one that I can definitely settle with.

Without a doubt, the best parts of any Berried Alive song are the solos and the breakdowns, but I always adore how fruitful the melodic and rhythmic riffs are too. Rocking an eight-string and fully utilising the range it provides, there's a tasty amount of chunkage to contrast the surrealistic melodies and ambient synths.

All the cheeky little licks and quick sweeps he sneaks into main riffs and lyrical sections are quickly becoming iconic to them, but what's definitely already iconic is Charles' distinctive usage of his killswitch and whammy bar. I'm not sure if I've ever seen or heard him use a slide or bend in his guitarwork, but he knows what to do when it comes to accurately shaping his intricate soundscapes, whether ruthlessly jagged and chaotic or alluringly dark and haunting.

Although it seems a bit shallow to idolise the solo and breakdown (because there's a lot more to any metal song than just the solos and breakdowns), I really have to commend the ones in this song. The solo is eccentrically blissful and really embodies the second half of the track title, and scratches just about every itch in my ear. The way he textures the notes with clever use of the whammy and the way he cleanly transitions from riffage to shredding and back to ambience, it's just excellent musicianship.

The breakdown is by far the most shocking to me. Keep in mind, this was my first introduction to Berried Alive (courtesy of Nik Nocturnal), and I listened to EDM and dubstep a lot when I was younger. The first time I heard this breakdown, it was alongside the music video and the guitarwork wasn't shown, and I had the hardest time believing that this wasn't a EDM drop of some kind. It goes to show the amount of mastery Charles has over his guitar, that the precision, speed and melodic capabilities remind me of the kind a machine has. Having seen the guitarwork now, it's believable now but still a jawdroppingly impressive flex.

As someone who appreciates a technical challenge, especially fusing it with typically non-technical areas of life, Berried Alive's music is truly perfect where it stands, existing between the realms of multiple genres, lending from multiple guitar styles and reinventing countless techniques and generally cranking the craziness up to eleven. Their music transcends headbanging, you'll just have to lose your mind.

Rating: 3.5/5

Album: Fall Out Boy - Save Rock And Roll [2013]

Fall Out Boy's musical style has remained wholly unique to them despite the reinvention of their sound with this album. A sharp contrast to their earlier material, which had a slightly rawer edge to it, Save Rock And Roll is their declaration of identity, fueled by a burning passion to reclaim their music and relight the path.

With a decade of tenure under their belt, Fall Out Boy had developed some iconic creative choices over the years. All of that goodness was infused into this album, revitalised with a modern twist. Their embracing of electronics with wide, open arms gave rise to this unique taste that I've grown to know as the modern Fall Out Boy sound: An anthemic pop-rock flavour signature of arena choruses, catchy riffs and minimalistically poetic lyrics. Arguably, this album is not only the most perfect and complete collection of songs, but a notable peak in their discography.

The heavy hitters in this album definitely take the spotlight in this record. Tracks like The Pheonix and My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) not only took the world by storm, it was the centerpiece of their new sound. This cinematically intense sound design, paired with an impressively renewed powerful voice of vocalist Patrick Stump, was like a red-hot brand ready to sear a permanent impression to any listener. Although I greatly appreciate the diversity of sound in this record, I cannot deny how critical these songs were in representing their new sound and cementing their renaissance.

But obviously, I greatly appreciate the diversity of sound in this record :P. The more heartthrob tracks like Just One Yesterday and Miss Missing You and the more electronically experimental tracks like Where Did The Party Go and Death Valley bring so much taste into this record. I'm always all for artists trying new things, and even when it doesn't turn out amazing I admire the attempt, but their venture into electronic territory is no B-grade mix. Whatever their soul-searching was about in their 4-year hiatus, they came out of it as experts of this new musical ground.

The features on this monumental album in their discography is no trivial matter either. Big names in their own genres, it's an absolute marvel how seamlessly Fall Out Boy incorporated all of their styles and glamours. A part-rap part-rock song doesn't sound like it should work, but they put Big Sean on a track and it's still a better track than most of 2013's releases, and Elton John on the titular track only reinforces the power ballad-esque declaration of love to the genre and the sentiment of the record as a whole.

I have to give a shoutout to Alone Together, not only is it the song that's most reminiscent of their older style, it also feels the most homely, without much of the wild creative choices that make the other songs less replayable, keeping only the simple yet important things about a Fall Out Boy song: singing about love, lyrics soaked in metaphors and a pure concentrate of their broken-youth sound. It's a personal favourite, easy to sing along with and never losing any replay value.

If it isn't clear already, I think this is their best album. They have a lot of songs that, as standalones, easily rank higher than most songs on this record, but I never fail to be amazed at how complete this album feels. No song on the tracklist is a flop and the soundscape of the album doesn't feel jagged even though it's so diverse. Listening to the album as a whole is an experience worth reliving, and the music video series The Youngblood Chronicles is just lovely icing on the cake.

Rating: 10/10

Tracklist:

1. The Pheonix

2. My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)

3. Alone Together

4. Where Did The Party Go

5. Just One Yesterday (feat. Foxes)

6. The Mighty Fall (feat. Big Sean)

7. Miss Missing You

8. Death Valley

9. Young Volcanoes

10. Rat A Tat (feat. Courtney Love)

11. Save Rock And Roll (feat. Elton John)

Lyric Of The Week 12: Whisper

 "I think that we've all made our gravest mistakes on the greatest intentions that we're too stubborn to let go."

The Dear Hunter - Whisper, from the album Migrant

Song: Gryffin and ILLENIUM - Feel Good (ft. Daya) [2017]

 

Feel Good is very much a feel good song. American DJ maestros Gryffin and ILLENIUM, the latter of which has been a favourite of mine in recent years, teamed up alongside Daya to produce one of the best pop songs of 2017 (and my overall favourite release of the year!).

I adore how cheerful the sound of this song is. It's a very pristine electronic tone that they've managed to design, with a combination of reverbed guitars, lightweight synths and snappy drum beats. Paired up with the young, hopeful voice of Daya, the resulting soundscape simply oozes with tasteful euphoria. Feel Good manages to stand out as an electronic pop song, which is very hard to do, considering many electronic pop songs can end up being very generic and repetitive.

I have to commend the lyricism in this song, and how mature it feels. It never goes near the typical lines about looks or experiences they have together, but rather what they are to each other and what they do for each other as people. It's soulful and not shallow or superficial, and isn't performatively romantic. In fact, most of the time it doesn't even hint at romantic love, and I personally portray this song in a platonic light half the time.

I remember first hearing this song when it was used as the soundtrack for a montage. A couple of my friends and I were at another school for a 3-day, 2-night camp and we were put together in a group with students from that school, and over those three days we've warmed up really quickly and they were really great people to be around. Hearing this song while we saw pictures of our three days there, it really left a mark for me, this unique impression of happiness that it made. It felt like the anti-thesis of bittersweet, the metaphorical opposite flavour of nostalgia.

What else can I say? ILLENIUM figured it out with his personal recipe for banger electro-pop songs, it has catchy lyrics, a great chorus and an overall pleasing sound. On it's own, it probably wouldn't get an amazing rating, electronic music just doesn't get that good that often (sorry but it's kinda true), but like most songs and records that I review here, sentiment plays a big part in how I rate them. Deal with it :)

Rating: 5/5

"Awake" Album Cover

EP: Knocked Loose - A Tear In The Fabric Of Life [2021]

This EP has shaken up what it means to be heavy, both musically and emotionally. Hardcore phenoms Knocked Loose has captured the most raw essences of grief and molded it into this bloody 21 minute experience, concentrated and unforgettable.

It's honestly one of the most visceral records I've ever gotten to experience. My first few listens of these were unintentionally without knowledge of the meaning behind the record, and even then it was unrelentlessly brutal, and from a purely musical standpoint, a creatively impressive work of hardcore. Having realised what the EP was about after looking it up though, there was this entirely new level of depth unlocked when it came to the grittiness of this record.

It's a simple yet gut-wrenching concept record about grief and struggling with it, painted by the picture of a car crash and the loss of a loved one, and the narrative of the survivor battling guilt, grief and eventually succumbing to it. The lyrics constantly boast this unnerving dismay that bears such great resemblance to the real deal itself, grief, that gives it such a strong emotional quality. This essential five stages of grief are quickly and concisely explored in six tracks, designed to be as intense as humanly possible.

The unbridled despair and anger of the protagonist is so perfectly replicated in vocalist Bryan Garris' violently raw screams, one of the most uniquely done vocals in the scene right now. No other scream can act as a vessel for the emotional weight of grief as well as his can, and I admire how much more heavy and significant their sound feels now against the backdrop of such a heavy, dark topic. The instrumentals are stunning, using the ferocity of hardcore to depict the harshness of grief in such meaningful ways.

Usually these kinds of things don't factor into my consideration for records, but seeing that A Tear Into The Fabric Of Life is almost synonymous to the story and the music video that it came with on it's surprise release, it feels integral to the record itself. The short film is a cunning visual rendition of the gruesome emotional turmoil this record is meant to represent, one that details it even better than the lyrics or my interpretation could.

This EP is just beautiful in so many ways, but especially for how unforgivingly honest it is in its expression of grief. The best works of art are catalysts or vessels for human emotion, and this has definitely hit the mark. It's emotional brilliance disguised as ruthless hardcore has awed me the most of any record, and it doesn't even compromise anywhere else when delivering such a meaningful piece of music. Truly an unforgettable experience and one that I'll continue to enjoy.

Rating: 10/10

Tracklist:

1. Where Light Divides The Holler

2. God Knows (feat. Matt King of Portrayal of Guilt)

3. Forced To Stay

4. Contorted In The Faille

5. Return To Passion

6. Permanent

Lyric Of The Week 11: Glitter & Crimson

"And I don't wanna wait till the sunshine fades, and bury our love in a shallow grave."

All Time Low - Glitter & Crimson, from the album Wake Up, Sunshine

Song: ​​half•alive - creature [Now, Not Yet, 2019]

creature is one of my personal favourite songs from half•alive. Being the culmination of all the themes explored in Now, Not Yet, its message and musical definition is one of the more refined in the record. It feels like the core track from which the entire album was developed from, and the fact that it was the first song written from that album seems to allude to such.

Pristine and astounding electronic sound design lays the foundation of the reflective nature of this song, the holiness that it portrays with a slight euphoric tinge. The contrast of the monumental synths and the soft percussion and occasional melodies give this track a clear rollercoaster of intensity, and supports the vocals without taking away any of the focus. It's not an instrumentally heavy song, but the unique sounds featured in this track still add so much character to the song, especially the surreal atmosphere it creates alongside choral elements.

Seeing lead vocalist Josh Taylor's final introspection and conclusion to the ideas explored in the record's ultimatum, it is a beautiful piece of writing to behold regardless of your belief. His lyrical and melodic design in this song feels very mature, laden with revelation and appreciation of the world, and of humanity. It feels like a blend of the innocence and wonder of a child and the knowledge and wisdom of an elder, a renewed hope in life aging like fine wine.

The gracefulness of his voice paired with the vibrant tenderness of the instrumental makes for a greatly pleasing song, one that I enjoy both as a musical masterpiece and a meaningful musing. The unique musical identity that half•alive formed with their amazing debut album can be almost entirely found in this song alone, and that easily earns it a spot high up on my favourites list.

Rating: 4.5/5

Album: Enter Shikari - Nothing is True & Everything is Possible [2020]

Enter Shikari had refined their unconventional sound to just about perfection by the time they got to their sixth studio album Nothing is True & Everything is Possible. The amalgamation of their styles and sounds over the past decade and more, with their signature edge of chaotic stylings, feels simultaneously more daring yet more mature than everything they've put out up to this point.

It's arguable that this could be presented as some sort of a magnum opus, given it's excellence in quality, diversity and overall identity, almost feeling like a pseudo-self-titled album. Their intentional direction towards unpredictable, atypical and unconventional sound design feels the most controlled and meaningful in this record, with an overall well structured tracklist, well made tracks and a lovely aesthetic to go along with everything.

The first thing that caught my eye about this record was the song titles. I think everyone enjoys entertaining the idea of weird and interesting ways to present song titles, and it is a common theme amongst alternative genres, but the randomness in this tracklist hits the spot. The contrast in the titles and their order hits the right spot in designing a visually appealing tracklist.

It's not just eye candy either, the song titles fit the songs themselves, and it gives this unique identity to every track and the record as a whole. I love how there's such a strong mood and vibe represented in each song that resonates so well together as a whole. The ominosity of THE GREAT UNKNOWN, the softness of the pressure's on., the spitefulness of thē kĭñg, it feels like a complete set of extremely human emotions that provides such a unique experience.

It's not a concept album per se, but the way the album tackles topics, concepts and emotions in such a fluid and orderly way, makes it feel like one. Some songs are very timely and relevant to 2020, others feel timeless and touch on the most human of things, yet it never ruins the cohesiveness of the entire package. The songs all sound like they belong together even when they're so vastly different style-wise, and the two Waltzing off the Face of the Earth tracks help to tie it all together so well.

They've never been strangers to electronic infusion, but I'd like to think they've gotten multitudes better with this record, particularly for their expansive use of it in a variety of flavours. The blaring synths in the more upbeat tracks channel the energy so effectively, while the more subtle electronic effects and sounds in the calmer tracks inject this definitive sense of surreality into them. It's a wonder to listen to their music, especially with the range that they achieved.

It's been one of the better surprise finds in my musical journey. I only caught onto this album the year after it was released (as I usually do) but I've found it to be a lot of fun to listen to, and even more fun as an album experience. There's some great moments in this record that can only allude to great musicianship and bold choices to innovate in unorthodox ways. What a wonder.

Rating: 9/10

Tracklist:

1. THE GREAT UNKNOWN

2. Crossing The Rubicon

3. { The Dreamer's Hotel }

4. Waltzing off the Face of the Earth (I. Crescendo)

5. modern living....

6. apøcaholics anonymøus (main theme in B minor)

7. the pressure's on.

8. Reprise 3

9. T.I.N.A.

10. Elegy For Extinction

11. Marionettes (I. The Discovery of Strings)

12. Marionettes (II. The Ascent)

13. satellites* *

14. thē kĭñg

15. Waltzing off the Face of the Earth (II. Piangevole)

Song: Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! - Fin. [Gone Are The Good Days, 2021]

This album and this song specifically arrived to my doorstep at the most relevant time it could've. A album about reminiscing the long gone good days and a song about saying goodbye to them, right as I was about to graduate high school? It couldn't have been timed better.

This song is no doubt a well made one, but I can't deny that a significant factor for why I love this song so much is its sentiment. It didn't hit me the first time I heard it but when it did, it hit me really hard. It wasn't the feeling of future nostalgia that emanated from Gone Are The Good Days, or the hopeful outlook of Bitter, themes that were relevant and popped up throughout the album, but it was this hard to explain sense of bittersweet acceptance. This song resonated with the feeling I had in my soul nearing the end of my high school journey that I was struggling to identify.

It was a goodbye, not happy, not sad, but somewhere in between. Lines like "This is my soundtrack to the end" and "I can finally say we're in the last act" embodied this personal concept of bidding farewell to the best part of my life, one that I loved with all my heart and soul but couldn't bear to live in any longer. All the highs and lows that defined me, all the pain and laughter that forever reverberates in my bones, this song managed to explain what it meant to look back at it all and smile knowing it's been done.

Maybe it's because of the experiences I've had in my high school life as a performer, as a dancer. The concept of life being "like a movie" and having a "soundtrack to the end" for this chapter of my life felt tremendously touching, at least to me. I'm sure Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! has had similar experiences to be writing this song, and this album as a whole, seeing that these themes have been so beautifully written and woven into the lyrics.

There's this undertone of a broken person finding themselves at the end of the story, after all they've been through, that runs through this song, and I'd like to think that's how it's meant to be interpreted. There's no vibrant and cheerful overtones, no happy ending vibes coming from this song, but it has this sense of being able to finally rest.

Sentiment aside, it's a powerful song and a perfect fit for an album closer, especially one that's about better days. Despite the connotations of easycore, I admire how they manage to portray all these emotions in their music so innately. There's this overlaying aura of monumentalism that blankets this track so affectionately, as if this song knew it was meant to be sentimental. A strong yet weary voice, a reverb-laden guitar tone that perfectly encapsulates nostalgia in a soundscape, and a perfect balance of intensity throughout the song to parallel the emotional journey of this kind of goodbye.

I know it's not exactly a music critic, but I've never been one to enjoy the idea of criticising, and frankly, this blog has always been about my personal musical journey, so take it as it is. I'd be clueless as to if this song is honestly that good without the sentiment, but like rose-tinted glasses permanently welded to my face, I can't see it as anything else but perfect and one of the most tragically beautiful songs to grace my soul (Although if you ask me, I'd still tell you this song is really that good even without the sentiment). And to solidify how sentimental this song is, I used this song as the soundtrack to my own high school journey trip-down-memory-lane video, because nothing else captured the essence as well as this song did. So there.

Rating: 5/5

Lyric Of The Week 10: Bulls In The Bronx

"I've been having this dream that we can fly, so maybe if we never wake up we can see the sky."

Pierce The Veil - Bulls In The Bronx, from the album Collide With The Sky

Album: Bring Me The Horizon - POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR [2020]

 

The justifications needed to call a record perfect is hefty, but if I had to give any record in my listening history the glory of achieving perfection, POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR has my vote in a heartbeat. Bring Me The Horizon's extensive fifteen years of music has culminated in this masterpiece of a record (which although was initially said to be an EP, I will call an album because it honestly is), with elements and sounds from every era of their discography all sonically designed with the most utmost of excellence. (Yes, I'm being very dramatic because this is one of the best records ever.)

Bring Me The Horizon has always been ahead of the game, not always trendsetters but always able to set themselves apart from the rest. The heaviness from Suicide Season lives on in Dear Diary, the fierce and fast-paced cyber-metal sound of Itch From The Cure (When Will We Be Free?) and Kingslayer has their roots in the bands' explorations in electronics from amo and Music to listen to. Every song on this record has such a unique styling to it, and the humble nine-track album can manage to pack such a big punch in a small timeframe of half an hour.

There's so much innovation in this record that leaves little to be desired. Their musicianship has always been top tier, even as they traverse different genres, like the nu-metal banger Teardrops or the sombre and ominous ballad One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest As You March Towards Your Death. The record is full of amazing soundscapes, impressively intricate sound designs that are an absolute pleasure to listen to.

The guest features on this album are also just about perfect. Nearly half the songs on this record have guest features (exactly half if you count Itch For The Cure and Kingslayer as two parts of the same song), and they've all brought such unique and needed flavours to the tracks they star on. YUNGBLUD's new blood sound and impressively emotional vocals brings the much fitting cynicism to Obey, Mick Gordon helps amplify the cyber-sound of Kingslayer while BABYMETAL's ethereal vocals give a blissful contrast to Oli's absolutely demonic growls. The Nova Twins' powerful vocals adds that touch of despair to the despondent and personal 1x1, and Amy Lee's iconic voice is undoubtedly the perfect fit for the closing song, no questions asked.

I love how they've transcended past the boundaries of conventional rock and metal, comfortably blending electronic elements with the instruments they so masterfully play. Their sound continues to outshine the entire musical scene as they consistently outdo themselves with every release, while making it so purposeful and relevant to the state of the world that they live in. POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR really embodied the "survival horror" aspect of 2020 and the world we live in now, and was as cathartic as it was impressive.

There's really nothing not to love about this record. Artisans at the top of their game, making music because they love to make music, and not for any other reason, it's where you find the best music in the world. This record is my favourite in many ways, for many reasons, and it's not entirely accurate to give it 10/10 because it definitely would outclass many of the records with that rating, but for the sake of not being illogical and giving it 11/10, I'll have to stick with a 10/10 for this one (but know that in my heart it's an 11/10).

Rating: 10/10

Tracklist:

1. Dear Diary,

2. Parasite Eve

3. Teardrops

4. Obey (ft. YUNGBLUD)

5. Itch For The Cure (When Will We Be Free?)

6. Kingslayer (ft. BABYMETAL)

7. 1x1 (ft. Nova Twins)

8. Ludens

9. One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest As You March Towards Your Death (ft. Amy Lee of Evanescence)

Song: Code Orange - Swallowing The Rabbit Whole [Underneath, 2020]

One of the most unique sounds of heavy metal brutality to date, Swallowing The Rabbit Whole sees Code Orange dialing it up to twenty-two. Their electronic/industrial infusion into heavy metal and hardcore isn't one that I'm too familiar with, but this track is a standalone highlight of 2020.

The moment it starts, you can already tell you're in for one hell of a time, and boy does it deliver. As soon as the first main riff comes in, generously peppered with harmonics, the intensity of the track increases tenfold. With this machine-heavy distorted sound, the energy gets unreal, and when the vocals come in, I was just about blown away.

I've always been on the fence when it came to intentionally altered vocals, it's really case by case for me, but I enjoyed their heavily distorted vocals in this song. A combination of doing it right and matching the vibe of the song, it just adds to the heaviness of the track overall. The call and response structures in the verse are great, I especially love the delivery of the line "can see it, couldn't touch it", it just hits the sweet spot for me. The little funky guitar riffs that spice up the background instrumentals adds so much to the eerie atmosphere of this verse.

The electronic experimentation in this song is loveable. Somewhere in the second verse contains a moment where the entire soundtrack choppily fades out and jerks back in, and not only is it such an impactful moment, it makes me feel like I'm in some sort of a Matrix movie. There's also this relatively calmer section in the song that feels like a narration, a leader delivering a message to the people. It adds so much to the fury and rebelliousness of the song, and I love the creative choices that let this exist and in a way that contributes so well to the undertones of this song.

The crown jewel of this song is definitely the breakdown, even with all the great moments in the rest of the track. The buildup is nigh-perfect, juxtaposing anticipation and ferocity right before they drop you off the cliff with a burning backpack full of fireworks. The riffage is so electronically amplified and jarring, the pacing is relentless, the sounds are contrasting from the lowest lows to the highest highs, the rhythm catches you off guard, the entire experience is heavy beyond belief. The first time I heard this breakdown, I was stank-faced the entire way through, headbanging in awe and disbelief.

The outro is perfect for the song, catching you right after the behemoth of the breakdown and leaving you with the titular line and a masterfully unsettling soundscape akin to standing in the dust and debris. The space it leaves in its auditory wake is ideal for letting the song sink into your bones and forever leave an impression.

If there's anything to be in awe about, it's how all the complexities in this song is perfectly fitted to a T, with its jaw-dropping metal elements, unconventional but effective song structure and blissfully creative and eargasmic use of electronics. The incorporation of electronics is done so skillfully, in a way that feels organic, as if it really could be done with a guitar, unlike the common downfall of electronics usage where it sounds like a separate instrument altogether and sidelining the actual instruments.

It's a memorable track, unforgiving in its rage and unbelievable in its technicality, and it is so fun to rock out to. When it comes to embracing the chaos, Code Orange has done a stellar job with this monstrosity of a centerpiece. 5/5s are usually reserved for songs that have significant sentiment, but if the baseline is thoroughly enjoying the song and never passing up the opportunity to spin it, Swallowing The Rabbit Whole more than deserves the rating.

Rating: 5/5

Lyric Of The Week 09: How To Survive A Funeral

 "And while the crowd remain composed, they put your crown upon your throne. I guess you found a place to rest those bones."

Make Them Suffer - How To Survive A Funeral, from the album How To Survive A Funeral