Song: SeeYouSpaceCowboy... & If I Die First - bloodstainedeyes [A Sure Disaster, 2021]

I remember stumbling across the music video for this on my YouTube feed, and the song title was just so edgy I wanted to see whether the song was actually good or not. Keep in mind, I was just starting to dip my toes into extreme music, and the heaviest song I knew was Pray For Plagues. I never really thought about it, but this song probably opened the doors to heavier territory for me.

The collision of two seemingly small but speedily growing bands full of potential, both remarkable names in their own genres of modern screamo and modern hardcore, is a collaboration I never knew I needed. I didn't know either band before this, but this song alone made me want to dive into both bands, one of which I love a lot now.

This five minute song is full of surprises. It hits you right away with an overlapping barrage of vocals: first with LiL Lotus and Connie Sgarbossa's dual screams both of which are brutal and really solid, and soon after Lil Zubin's cleans come in as well to provide that clean emo flavour to the mix. The generous use of dissonance is definitely home to both genres, but I enjoy the occasional blend of melodic and softer elements. I love the vocal layering, using each other's voices as very unique textural additions, especially with how visceral Connie's screams are compared to LiL Lotus'.

Despite feeling all over the place, the song doesn't feel that weird. The post-hardcore/screamo chorus sits surprisingly well in the song, right after a breakdown no less. The clean part near the end actually sounds beautiful and it doesn't take away from the heaviness of the song, in fact I feel it makes the final heavy part hit harder.

This is definitely the first song I got into that was so nonchalantly heavy and senseless. It's a well-written song, definitely, but I had never heard a song with so much feedback, dissonance and raw screaming, alongside such an unrepetitive song structure, mood changes and tempo changes. I think the most captivating thing about this song was how easy it was to listen to despite its sonic nature, and I enjoyed it a lot (or maybe I was simply starting to love heavy music).

bloodstainedeyes introduced me to If I Die First, a band that I now love. SeeYouSpaceCowboy... is still on my radar for now, but I have no doubt that both bands are forces to be reckoned with, and at the forefront of each of their modern sounds. It's such a rare occurrence to see two full bands collaborating, much less on a single song with equal contribution. I just love how cool this song is.

Rating: 4.5/5

Song: If I Die First - My Nightmares Would Do Numbers As Horror Movies [A Sure Disaster Split EP, 2021]

If I Die First's brand of modern screamo is a rare gem hidden in the dirt, at least for me. Their ability to blend so many elements together with so much ease and to create quality listening experiences that pack so much in so little time is unparalleled. Coming off of the Split EP with SeeYouSpaceCowboy..., My Nightmares Would Do Numbers As Horror Movies stands out as the best track on their half and one of the better tracks in their entire discography.

I've always found their fusion of styles very enticing, coming from a supergroup of sorts. Musicians with various backgrounds in emo trap, post-hardcore and metal combining their expertises to create such a diverse sound oscillating through all the styles effortlessly. Throughout this song, they toggle between two distinct sounds, one softer and one heavier, independent of the vocals. Softer sections featuring acoustic fingerstyle-esque riffs and electronics-focused percussion, heavier sections featuring metal drumming techniques and modern metalcore riffing and tapping, with some occasional blend and overlap.

For a band with four vocalists, it's interesting how they manage to cohesively utilise everyone in their songs. Uncleans and cleans rapidly switch each other out and occasionally layer each other or go into a call-and-response type beat, but never in an awkward or jarring way. All of their vocals are unique enough to stand out from each other, whether it be Lil Lotus' unique emo-tinged cleans and uncleans, Lil Zubin's high cleans or Travis' guttural lows. The drumming and guitarwork feels like a modern take on screamo fused with modern metalcore and post-hardcore, and there's just so much to love about the dynamic and genre mix.

As per classic emo and screamo songs, lyrical themes of love and dramatic metaphors accompanied by long song titles that may or may not be related to the song itself run common in their discography, and this is no exception. Catchy lines and hooks make most of their songs memorable and this song has plenty throughout, and even a minor nod to their first EP My Poison Arms.

If I Die First's catalogue is impressive, no doubt, but I personally think this song is their peak as of right now. Every element of their band is so well written here and there's no feeling of untapped potential, the vocal dynamics are excellent and the instrumentals are so well designed. Where some of their other songs fall short in feeling incomplete, rushed or slightly chaotic, My Nightmares Would Do Numbers As Horror Movies stands mighty as nigh perfect.

Rating: 5/5

"A Sure Disaster" EP cover