Every Time I Die are an American metalcore group from Buffalo, New York. After a long five-year wait, their ninth studio album Radical is due for release on October 22. 

Following on from their last album, 2016’s Low Teens, this new body of work is said to lyrically discuss some challenging situations that lead singer Keith Buckley has been through over the last few years. Despite this, it has been noted that the record is “very hopeful and uplifting.”

The first track on Radical is ‘Dark Distance.’ From the first hit, this song draws you in. Constant heavy guitar riffs and Buckley’s signature unclean vocals are the key components of this infectious song. Next up is ‘Sly,’ which is immensely memorable from the get-go! The chorus is sure to get in your head after the first listen.

‘Planet Shit’ is a catchy, guitar-driven song that has already been released on various streaming platforms. This track talks about how the world is seemingly negative right now. ‘Post-Boredom’ is up next, which has also given fans a taste of what’s to come on the album. Buckley’s clean vocal style sounds very reminiscent of Serj Tankian from System of a Down in the chorus. Then, ‘Colossal Wreck’ treats us with some infectious guitar riffs and discusses removing toxic people from your life. 

‘Desperate Pleasures’ also proves that System of a Down were a huge influence while making the album, with another infectious chorus hitting our eardrums. The lyrics could be a nod to the current Covid-19 pandemic. ‘All This And War’ is yet another catchy song, giving us the perfect mix of clean and unclean vocals. Next up is ‘Thing With Feathers’, which is softer in style and features more of Keith Buckley’s clean vocals. 

‘Hostile Architecture’ is a sharp shift back to the energetic, loud sound the band are widely known for. The following track is titled ‘AWOL,’ discussing Keith’s struggle with his mental health. ‘The Whip’ is up next, which starts and continues to be as heavy as you would expect from Every Time I Die. 

‘White Void’ lyrically discusses Buckley’s plea to change his life for the better, while ‘Distress Rehearsal’ is definitely mosh pit ready! ‘sexsexsex’ is a song which is undoubtedly a change in lyrical inspiration, talking about an optimistic sexual encounter that Buckley has had.

Second to last, ‘People Verses’ controversially talks about how men can be untrustworthy and unfaithful and how you can successfully move on from bad past relationships. The final song on the album is ‘We Go Together, which discusses Keith’s previous struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. He talks about trying to erase his bad habits but is still seemingly working on them.

Radical is set to be released on Friday, October 22, 2021. Overall, this album has a lot of memorable bangers and is filled with heavy riffs galore. Radical is a definite shift from previous work but is still sure to please Every Time I Die fans all over the globe!