The 10 Best Every Time I Die Songs of All-Time
There are so many things to admire about the Buffalo-based metalcore band Every Time I Die, but their commitment to writing music that is different while still retaining the elements of what makes them who they are is at the top of that list. Many bands play it safe by releasing albums that sound nearly identical to their previous release, but not Every Time I Die. They have proven time and again that they are not afraid of taking chances by trying out something completely different every time they release a new song, whether it’s through their use of horns (which is more prominent than ever on their latest album ‘Ex Lives’) or by implementing electronic elements into their sound, like on 2003’s ‘Hot Damn!’ Every Time I Die stands out for marching to the beat of their own drum. That is even more apparent when it comes to their songs. No two songs sound the same, and each one shows a different side of the band. Some are loud and aggressive, while others slow things down and take on a more somber tone than anything else they’ve ever done. And as much as we love every song Every Time I Die has ever released, ten songs stand out among the rest. So without further ado, here are the top 10 Every Time I Die songs of all time.
10. Kill the Music (“Gutter Phenomenon” – 2005)
“Kill The Music,” from the band’s sophomore album ‘Gutter Phenomenon,’ starting off the list.’ The album was released under Ferret Records, a record label that Every Time I Die would remain on for the rest of their career. It’s the third track on the album, and it features Gerald Way of My Chemical Romance on vocals. It’s one of the few songs that capture the ferocity. While Every Time I Die is most known for their relentless and hard-hitting sound, ‘Kill The Music’ slows things down a bit and goes with a more melodic approach that you don’t often hear from them but becomes addicting by the time the chorus hits.
9. The Logic of Crocodiles (“Last Night In Town” – 2001)
Every fan of Every Time I Die seems to agree that the band’s first two albums are some of their best work. You can call them repetitive, but this type of music lends itself well to creativity. The songs tend to stick with a formula and stay there throughout the entire album, which is what makes ‘Last Night In Town so damn good. Every song on the album is different, but a few stand out among the rest. Of those, ‘The Logic of Crocodiles’ is one of them. It starts off with a slow and brooding tone, similar to something you’d hear from the band Funeral For A Friend, before exploding into one of the fastest songs on the album.
8. Buffalo 666 (“New Junk Aesthetic” – 2009)
Every Time I Die’s fifth studio album, “New Junk Aesthetic,” received a lot of mixed reviews after its release. Some band fans praised it for showing off a different side of them, while others criticized it for losing touch with their signature sound by using electronic elements and implementing clean vocals throughout the entire album. Regardless of what you think of ‘New Junk Aesthetic,’ there is no denying that one of the bonus tracks on the special edition of the album is one of their best songs to date. ‘Buffalo 666’ kept the same electronic elements present on most of ‘New Junk Aesthetic’ songs but also went as far as including those notable guitar riffs and screamed vocals that put Every Time I Die in a category of their own.
7 . Fear and Trembling (“Low Teens” – 2016)
The second latest album from Every Time I Die is ‘Low Teens.’ It was released in September 2016 and featured the return of lead singer Keith Buckley, who had left the band briefly to be with his family after the birth of his daughter. It’s their eighth studio effort, and it debuted at number 100 on the US Billboard 200, which is their highest ranking debut to date. It’s also the first album of their career that features clean vocals throughout all 12 tracks without lots of screaming. But regardless of how it ranks among Every Time I Die’s discography, ‘Fear and Trembling” is one hell of a song. In fact, the entire album is great from start to finish, but this one stands out among all of them because it features guest vocals from riff master Danko Jones, who appears in the chorus and end of the track singing about “running with a loaded gun.”
6. The New Black (“Gutter Phenomenon” – 2003)
Every Time I Die is known for their abrasive sound and relentless attack music, but they’ve had more than enough songs that are slower in pace. That said, “The New Black” is one of the band’s fastest efforts to date. It starts with a bang and doesn’t let up throughout the entire song. In fact, everything from the opening riff to Keith Buckley’s screams of “I’m still not alright!” makes this a must-listen for any fan of Every Time I Die. Lyrically, it tells the story of a guy going through a tough time and is on the verge of suicide. He doesn’t necessarily want to die, but he wants everything to slow down and take a break while showing how important it is for him to get away from his current situation.
5. The Coin Has A Say (“Low Teens” – 2016)
Every Time I Die’s latest album ‘Low Teens’ features the same electronic elements that were present on their previous release ‘New Junk Aesthetic.’ However, this one has more of a hardcore feel to it with the help of new drummer Daniel Davidson, who replaced longtime member Ryan Leger in 2015 after he left the band to become a firefighter. ‘The Coin Has A Say’ is also one of the best songs on ‘Low Teens,’ which shows how much Davidson has brought to the band since taking over his new role. It starts with an almost spacey guitar riff that leads into a harsh scream from Buckley and a burst of tempo that doesn’t slow down until the song is over.
4 . Idiot (“From Parts Unknown” – 2015)
Every Time I Die’s seventh studio album ‘From Parts Unknown’ is a heavy hitter from start to finish. It was released in July 2015 and charted at number 26 on the US Billboard 200. That said, there isn’t a single song that you can skip if you want to hear what the band is all about. ‘Idiot’ opens with a clean guitar riff before Keith Buckley comes in and delivers quite possibly his harshest lyrics to date. It was also one of the first songs released from the album ahead of its official release, so it definitely got fans excited for what they were about to hear when the album finally dropped.
3. Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space (“Ex Lives”- 2012)
I love “Ex Lives” so much because it was the first album with former member Andrew Williams on guitar. He left Every Time I Die in 2010 before returning three years later to take over for Jonathan Dennison, who decided to part ways with the band after years of serving in various roles. “Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space” is one of the heaviest songs on the album. It features Williams on lead vocals for almost half of it before Buckley comes in to deliver his lyrics about an alien girl who took over his mind. Williams would leave the band before they even embarked on 2013’s ‘R40’ tour.
2. Map Change (“Low Teens” – 2016)
Every Time I Die is known for continually evolving their sound with each new album they release. That said, their latest effort, ‘Low Teens’, saw the band take more of an electronic approach than its predecessors. ‘Map Change’ is one of the best songs on the album and acts as an almost cautionary tale about how some things in life are beyond our control, but that doesn’t mean you should run away from them.
1. Moor (“From Parts Unknown” – 2015)
Every Time I Die is at their absolute best when they’re either slow and heavy or fast and ferocious, as evidenced on ‘Moor.’ It starts with a guitar riff that slowly builds up the energy before Keith Buckley takes over and delivers his lyrics with pure ferocity over the top of it. The song was also one of the first released from ‘From Parts Unknown’ before they even announced the album, so it definitely got fans excited for what they were about to hear when it finally dropped at the end of July 2015.