Death By Stereo

Death For Life

The choice of album and/or band name is the only thing that rings true on this woefully long plummet into metal-core. It tries too hard and creates a sound meant to be taken seriously with its heavy lyrics of death and pain, but comes off as merely ridiculous.

Death For Life is decidedly more metal than past Death By Stereo releases, and drenched in slower, laboriously methodical rhythms. This may disappoint devoted fans accustomed to Death’s formerly more punk sound. Death For Life still has energy, thanks to vocalist Efrem Schulz’s schizo style – insane screeching one moment, choir-tenor pretty the next.

Unfortunately, this disc can’t live up to the hype of its own energy. Technically speaking, the guitars are amazing because they are extremely fast and precise, and the drumming is honestly solid. True to their new genre, they also religiously observe the proper format for selecting rhythms and riffs, thus becoming paint-by-numbers.

Lyrically, Death By Stereo comes up short. Few will be moved by such standout lines as “Yeah, what’s the purpose? / Yeah, what’s the reason? / Your stupid questions / No I don’t need them.” When you’re screaming most of your lyrics, they don’t have to rank with the poetry of Robert Frost, but a little less cliché wouldn’t hurt. In the end, it’s that cliché which kills Death for Life. This just might be “life” for Death by Stereo – sentenced to be stuck in the same format as millions of other bands.