After countless years on the road and upping their game on every album, Every Time I Die seemed to have found the perfect balance of all that worked for them in the past. Teaming up with producer Kurt Ballou of Converge, From Parts Unknown is an unrelenting and cohesive album. All the things that make this band enjoyable is found throughout this album. The production is still raw but has a new approach to make certain instruments more prevalent in the songs and the vocals more coherent. Their previous album Ex Lives with producer Joe Barresi started the band on this track. Clocking in at 31 minutes, the 12 songs are full of introspective lyrics and memorable thrash/hardcore, some of the time adding a solid groove or a melodic tinge.
First track “The Great Secret” has all the above mentioned and then some. This song really kicks things off with a bang. “Decayin With The Boys” is classic Every Time I Die with bits of melody. “If There Is Room To Move, Things Move” is ferocious in its thrashy hardcore roots. “Thirst” is an aggressive heavy song with awesome breakdowns and a real attitude. “The Great Secret” has a Converge vibe to it along with a really heavy groove. “El Dorado” shifts gears a bit and is more of a melodic rock song with a 90’s guitar sound. “Overstayer” is the weakest track on the album. There really isn’t anything that is great about this song. “Moor” is a real departure for the band. Starting with a piano intro that melds very well with Keith Buckley’s clean vocals really showcases the band’s songwriting and ability to be diverse. This song is a real stand out. “Exomotorium” is a solid groove/hardcore song. “Pelican Of The Desert” is heavy and full of energy. It also features a guest vocal cameo from Sean Ingram of Coalesce. “All Structures Are Unstable” is a solidly good melodic hardcore song. Closing out the album is “Old Light” featuring Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem. This song has the cleanest vocals on any Every Time I Die song ever. Musically it goes from a rock song to classic ETID.
All in all From Parts Unknown is dynamic and full of greatness. With the exception of one song, it is a stellar album. Every Time I Die has a knack for putting out solid material and this is no different. I would even dare to say that this album is a statement to all those that try to do what they do but always fall short. On the scale of 1-10, I’d give this an 8.5.
By: Brian Lacy
audioeclectica 