In the aftermath of Every Time I Die‘s public internal combustion earlier this year following disagreements with vocalist Keith Buckley, the remaining members hinted that they were not done with making music. Few could have predicted, however, either the quick turnaround or the supergroup that was unveiled today. Better Lovers is Jordan Buckley, Clayton ‘Goose’ Holyoak, and Steven ‘Mitch’ Micciche of Every Time I Die, as well as the additions of guitarist and producer Will Putney (Fit For An Autopsy, END) and vocalist Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan). The surprise announcement of their formation comes with the release of debut single “30 Under 13”, released via Sharptone.
The track is every bit as hard-hitting and chaotic as one would expect from members of ETID, END, and TDEP, hardly missing a beat from their previous work. For many people, myself included, this is the Exodia of mathcore supergroups, complete with stellar production and a roster who not only refuses to quit but seems intent on maintaining the raw energy and honesty of their respective discographies. Better Lovers is to the chaotic metalcore scene what last year’s surprise unveiling of L.S. Dunes was to the post-hardcore. Simply put, it rips. Putney himself says as much: “It’s a group of loaded weapons all firing at full power ready for the next chapter of our music careers, and I can confidently say our collective best work is ahead of us.”
Guitarist Jordan Buckley spoke on behalf of the Every Time I Die cohort. “Looking back, I’m so happy everything got me to where I am. The pandemic and the last few years made me hungrier and more grateful. This isn’t a hobby. This isn’t temporary. This is the next evolution for each of us. Greg and Will rejuvenated me and made me even more confident. Now, everybody needs to know we’re a wild animal that just broke out of the zoo—there’s no trying to put it back in the cage.”
“Jordan sent me some already finished instrumental tracks, and they hit me at just the right time,” Puciato adds, explaining how the project came to fruition. “Those tracks woke up a side of me that I thought was fully extinct but was merely evolving and changing. To my complete surprise there was still something left in that area to dig at, and the vessel for it made sense.”
While Every Time I Die, Fit For An Autopsy, and END have all put out new releases in the past eighteen months, fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan will rejoice to hear frontman Greg Puciato deliver his famous screams overtop frenetic riffs and raw guitar feedback once again. One can only hope that Better Lovers, comprised of so many driven, experienced, and prolific musicians, will be a lasting project with plenty more to offer on the horizon. Buckley‘s tweet that there’s an album ‘coming soon’ bodes well. Additionally, Better Lovers have announced a North American tour supporting Underoath, The Ghost Inside, and labelmates We Came As Romans, which will run through July and August. As the latest addition to Sharptone‘s roster, they certainly mean business.