Metal Underground.com

Although many categorize Every Time I Die as a metalcore band with a strange mix of southern rock riffs and punk-ish swagger thrown in for good measure, “New Junk Aesthetic” seems to lean further to the hardcore side of the spectrum. This is due to the extremely rugged feel of the riffs and the way in which Every Time I Die front man, Keith Buckley, furiously spits out his strange, but intriguing, lyrics.

I can’t say that I fell in love with this album on the first listen. I can say that once you “get” Every Time I Die’s odd blend of music, you can’t listen to a whole song on “New Junk Aesthetic” without wanting to dropkick the first person you see. This is due to the amount of pure unadulterated energy that songs like “Organ Grinder” and “Who Invited The Russian Soldier?” instill in the listener.

In layman's terms, this is possibly the most well-rounded Every Time I Die album to be put out by the band. It has everything that makes the band a force to be reckoned with. From catchy hooks and choruses in “Wanderlust” to full out ferocity on “For The Record,” the band doesn't slow down for anybody. Unless, of course, it is for a bone crushing breakdown, of which there are plenty.

It has to be said that this album is quite a short affair, especially if you don’t have the deluxe bonus edition, which hosts two more tracks. Every Time I Die seems to steamroll through songs, but I can’t say that this hinders the experience of listening to the album at all; in fact, it is probably what makes me enjoy it all the more. It’s just a blitz of energy and aggression that takes hold of you and makes it very hard to finish any task at hand that requires you to sit still and think.

The album features guest vocals from Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan), Matt Caughthran (The Bronx), and Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy). You can see the range of influences and genres that Every Time I Die host, although you would never have guessed from listening to the album that there were guest vocals. I found it to be a bit annoying (not in the case of Pete Wentz, as I would have preferred him to have not been featured at all), as I think the varying styles of some of the vocalists could have been useful to add that extra bit of texture to the songs they appeared on.

As I said at the beginning of this review, “New Junk Aesthetic” can take a bit to grow on you, but whether you enjoy the music or not, the simple fact is that Every Time I Die seem to have come into their own with this album. Combining the raw aggression of their earlier albums with the riff-polcalypse that takes place in latter albums, the band creates a CD that doesn’t wear thin after a few spins and, from the sound of their live performances, transfers well to being played in front of a crowd.