By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars
If you've read my most recent post, then you know I love Demon Hunter. Not only have I counted down my top 10 songs by them, but they are also a part of my top 10 bands of all time. As I've said before, there's plenty of good reason for that. One of those reasons is how they don't have a single weak album in their discography. They've always managed to keep their signature sound in tact while making subtle changes to it. Their most recent release "Extremist" was met with mixed reception as many considered it to be too soft. Personally, I thought it was a great album, even if it did have some flaws. How do they follow up that album? Now we have "Outlive", DH's eighth studio album which is their most different sounding as well as most accessible record yet. I promise you, that is far from a bad thing.
"Outlive" gets off to a great start with "Trying Times", an intro with all clean vocals that does a good job at establishing what this album's genre is going to be: hard rock. Like most starting tracks, this song is an interesting listen. I love how Ryan's clean vocals sound somewhat foreboding, and the building guitar riffs and drum patterns made me very excited to get into this album. This intro track has a very good pay off with one of the most intense songs on the album, "Jesus Wept". This song feels like it could belong on one of the band's earlier works. The song is just as intense if not more than tracks like "Crucifix" or "The World Is a Thorn". Like most of the band's all unclean vocal-based songs, this one has a tough message, as Ryan Clark repeatedly acknowledges "I'm why Jesus wept". He's acknowledging that he is indeed a flawed human being and that Jesus wept for him because of that. I love that DH continue to boldly proclaim their faith, and this is one of their most profound as I don't recall the band ever saying Jesus's name in any of their other songs. One of the lead singles "Cold Winter Sun" follows. While this song follows the DH formula to a tee (an establishing guitar riff, unclean verses, clean chorus, guitar solo), I still can't help but enjoy it. The song feels instantly familiar because of how distinctly Demon Hunter it is, and I can see this one becoming a fan favorite.
"Died In My Sleep" is the first song that sounds completely different for Demon Hunter, and I love it for that very reason. Ryan has made it clear via his side project NYVES that he loves electronic music, and some of that influence bleeds into this song. There are electronic flares all over the track, and it makes it sound absolutely dynamic. Ryan also uses his higher vocal register quite a bit, and I liked the change of pace, as it made for a more upbeat sounding song (that is something that happens quite a bit on this record). The highlight of this song is the guitar work for sure; the guitar riffs done here are so strong and instantly stick out. I can't get enough of them, and I go repeatedly back to this song just to listen to them. "Cold Blood" has a solid metal groove to it. That groove is especially established with some more solid guitar and drum work. Ryan's unclean vocals sound a bit more intense here compared to some other songs on the album, which makes the track feel like it has more power behind it. But the chorus of this song is the shining factor of it, as it is beautiful. Yes, believe it or not, metalcore bands do have the ability to make beautiful sounding choruses. The song talks powerfully about how trying to make material gains in the world will only leave you feeling hollow inside: "Your contribution/A desperate display of brokenness/It's all the same now/Same paper crown by lesser means". This is one of the best lyrical moments on the album.
"One Step Behind" is the only ballad-like song on "Outlive" (even though there are some alt rock elements in it), making it unique. Its emotional heft is what really lifts this song above many of the other songs on this album. The subject of this song is about Ryan's first child, who he and his wife had in the midst of this record being written. It's a song of encouragement for his child and the lyrics can easily make one feel emotional: "Breathe in, breathe out the light/And leave your shadow behind/For this day your pain is mine/So let me carry the weight". Ryan has shown plenty of vulnerability on all of the band's other releases, but this is a different kind of vulnerability. The sacrificial nature Ryan shows here shows fatherly devotion, and it reflects God in some ways. The musicality of this track really compliments the emotion. The electronic elements used do not feel at all forced, instead adding to the vibe. "The End" is a solid hard rock anthem that reminds of something Disciple could do (which is totally a compliment). The small breakdown in the song is also really fun, and the chorus is incredibly catchy. "One Less" has a death metal vibe to it and is easily the most intense song on the album. Needless to say that I enjoyed this one, and this one should be enjoyed by fans of DH's harder work. The two best songs of the album come at the very end, which makes this album closing stronger compared to some of the other band's releases. "Patience" is such a fun rock jam. It also takes some surprising turns in dynamics, which makes its five minute run time worth it. The chorus is also in a major, upbeat key, which is not typical of Demon Hunter. The closing track "Slight the Odds" is my personal favorite and may well be one of the best songs the band has ever done. This song is epic in every sense, starting with some beautiful strings before launching into huge guitar riffs that combine with the strings. This creates a symphonic rock track that puts Skillet to shame. The lyricism of this track is nothing short of inspiring: "Cut my teeth against the grain/Let me die without the pain (or live to slight the odds)/Same old trouble after all/Will I go before I fall (or live to slight the odds)". Ryan hopes that he'll die with his faith intact, and while he lives he'll defy the odds and remain a Christian no matter what happens. The message could've come across as cheesy, but instead it turns into something that I'm will have fists raised high in a live setting. It would be an understatement to say I love everything about this track.
There are a few weak moments in this album. I've tried repeatedly to get into "Half as Dead", but I just can't. It's one of DH's weakest songs to date. People say that "Hell Don't Need Me" is boring, but this song is far worse. The guitar work here sounds surprisingly lazy for the band, and Ryan sounds almost bored. The lyrics are somewhat cryptic and cliched too, although they aren't nearly as bad as the musical laziness. "Raining Down" is the one rock track here that doesn't work for me. Ryan's vocals don't vary much at all, instead staying at one tone in the chorus which makes for an unmemorable song. The electronic elements also don't blend very well, and they end up drowning the guitar elements, which is a bit disappointing.
Overall, the accessibility of this album, including its emphasis on more clean vocals and more upbeat choruses may make this the most different out of all of DH's albums. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's one of their top records, there is still no denying for me that it is a superb release, and it will be on repeat throughout the rest of the year. If you haven't heard Demon Hunter before, this album might be a good place to start before you get into their more intense material. I for one am glad that Demon Hunter continues to push themselves in new directions, and I can't wait to see what direction they'll take next!
Favorite Tracks: "Slight the Odds", "Patience", "One Step Behind", "Cold Blood", "Died In My Sleep", "The End"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Half as Dead", "Raining Down"
No comments:
Post a Comment