“I felt you call from the void.”
In a time where there seems to be an endless number of new bands in the scene, dead7 has been able to stand out amongst the crowd. The Missouri metalcore unit experiment with brooding atmospheres and unrelenting heaviness mixed with pop sensibilities in a precarious balance. Earlier songs like “tape mouth” and “two lives” showcase the band’s range, from melodically-intwined hard hitters to more uncaged brutality. With the release of their debut album, LOVE WHAT YOU CAN WHILE YOU GOT SOMETHING LEFT TO LOVE, the band grow into new territory and continue to shape their identity.
The album’s first two singles saw the band’s experimental sound heading in a new trajectory. Retaining their signature unhinged heaviness, the tracks saw the band expand into a melodic-focused direction simultaneously. “BLUR” demonstrates this with its trippy electronic layers and the heavy stylisation of vocalist Jason Kozik’s voice on the verses. The main “hook” of the track consists of a destructively heavy explosion of sound, comprised of chunky riffs delivered by guitarists Dexter Greer and Tim Quinn and impactful drum rhythms from Zach Guinn. The track’s climax comes in the form of a menacing ending breakdown, ridden with harmonics and ending the track on a high note.
“HOLE” follows a similar path with its heavy use of electronics and the low guitar tones that have become the band’s signature. The track opts for a more traditional chorus hook from Kozik, one that is effectively catchy and a nice contrast to the track’s heavier moments. Working with Jonathan Dolese (156/Silence, Cane Hill, HourHouse) for the mixing and mastering, his familiar guitar and drum tones aid in achieving the weighty punch of the instrumentals while still creating for an intriguingly melody-focused track. The two tracks, which also happen to be the first two in the tracklist, do not shy away from personal lyrical themes, with “BLUR” being about navigating the various, overwhelming phases of life while “HOLE” depicts a complicated and unbalanced relationship. The two tracks see a more streamlined and polished songwriting process from dead7; one that pairs the chaos of their sound with a more conventional route.
Third single “PLEASE” is undoubtedly the furthest the band have pushed into this new style. The song plays out very much like a pop song, with a structure that mirrors many pop hits of today. Juxtaposed with heavy guitars, yet never throwing the song into a forced heavy moment, the track, at least to me, ends up working with how boldly it commits to its pop-oriented direction. With sultry, almost Sleep Token levels of depravity in its lyrics, the track is clearly meant to be a more light-hearted take on heavy music, and for what it’s worth, I think it succeeds. Marcus Vik of Invent Animate makes an appearance, the track’s chorus near the end; the final curveball in such a bizarrely unusual song.
As you might imagine, the rest of the album mainly lies somewhere in the middle of its established parameters, yet still doing quite a lot in the space. While “PLEASE” forms the extreme end of the band’s experimentation with “heavy pop music”, a lot of the album still roughly flows in that direction, albeit in different ways on each track. “BLOOD” utilises dark, synthwave notes on the verses to build the atmosphere of the track. The band displays their knack for a good hook here, a quality that is definitely the main focus of the album. “NUCLEAR” ventures slightly into hyperpop metal territory with its glitchy, harsh EDM elements and autotuned vocal sections. The track definitely bears some resemblance to Bring Me The Horizon’s recent efforts, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were an influence on dead7’s direction for this album.
The production elements, from the vocoder-laced vocals to the intricate layers of electronics, give the album’s sound a unique character. While many of the songs feature a more standard song structure and a more accessible approach, it’s these intentional production choices that sets dead7 apart from their contemporaries. The atmosphere they are able to craft on each track is engaging and, combined with their contrastingly heavy instrumentals, creates for an experience that’s undoubtedly fun. “ENEMY” builds a mysterious, Bad Omens-esque soundscape with its synth layers throughout the track. The track delivers yet another effective chorus, complemented by well-timed heavy twists to complete the package. “TEETH” sees Kozik employ sing-scream vocals a la Sam Carter on the chorus, bringing an interesting new approach to the album’s formula. The use of the aforementioned elements gives the album a cohesive sound, yet each track plays out with its own character.
Late album cut “FLOATING” feels closest to the band’s earlier sound, fully swinging in an angry, face-smashing direction with its pummelling riffs and drums and a feral performance from Kozik. The track features Aaron Matts of ten56., undeniably an apt choice for the heaviest track on the album. Where the inclusion of such a heavy track had the potential to feel forced, its execution ultimately still feels cohesive and still fits naturally into the album’s flow.
The album’s closer, “DOPESICK” is a moody, melancholic pop-leaning track. There’s a heavy theme of self-loathing, which is an interesting theme to close to album on as it explores the highs and lows of existence. The track builds gradually in intensity, eventually leading to an ambient crescendo as the track opens up fully. Closing out the album on a low emotional note, the album’s end seems to signify the hit of reality that comes after a dopamine hit.
LOVE WHAT YOU CAN WHILE YOU GOT SOMETHING LEFT TO LOVE sees dead7 successfully execute a more accessible version of their sound, developing their melodic side in way that feels natural. Where many bands attempt that path and fail due to succumbing to trends or a lack of direction, dead7’s efforts feel intentional as they experiment with the different elements of their sound. There is a healthy amount of boundary pushing, even within the confines they set for themselves here. With thos steady foundation established, it would be interesting to see the band expand into more unpredictable territory, seeing as they are already poised to make a switch up at any time. In its entirety, the record is inviting, yet rewarding for those seeking a more detailed experience.
8/10
LOVE WHAT YOU CAN WHILE YOU GOT SOMETHING LEFT TO LOVE releases on the 11th of July via SharpTone Records. Pre-order links for the album can be found here and additional merch for the band can be found here.