Written By: Jennifer Burch
Dallas based Even The Dead Love A Parade formed quite the procession not only in Texas, but all over the U.S. and Canada. The band’s first self titled EP, was released May 13th with EMP Label Group. ETDLAP was formed by guitarist Braxton Henry and drummer Clint Litton. The group originally started as a side project that quickly evolved. The duo eventually linked up with Drowning Pool’s bassist Stevie Benton, along with a second guitarist Matt Raffaele. Of course, no parade is complete without a vocalist. Jordan Condery was chosen to fill the void and brought with him an incredible sound.
The EP opens with “Cancer and the Host”. The track features a catchy intro that builds into powerful guitar riffs and hoarse vocals, but then takes a dynamic shift about midway through. For a moment I thought I was hearing a completely different track. This is the point in the song when the range of Condery’s vocals open up. Throughout the track, I heard a few brief fragments of something vaguely familiar. By the end, I realized the group has a slight likeness to Nothingface.
“Humane” moves into slower, darker territory. Sinister lyrics like “God best be on your side, cause there’s a demon on mine” layer nicely with Litton’s drumming and Benton’s bass. There’s definitely a sense of impending doom going on with this track. Along with the EP, the group released a self-produced video for “Heart Poacher”. If you like sugar skulls, beautiful (yet deadly) gorgeous women, you’ll want to check it out. Right from the start, this track is full of energy and chilling lyrics like, “So I kissed her forehead as I tucked her in the river bed”. In my opinion, “Morphine Queen” is by far the best track because this one seems to have the best composition. From start to finish, the song pulls you along various elevations. Condery’s voice combined with the strong guitars hold a satisfying and consistent quality all the way through.
The drums pound and the riffs slay, as expected. The tracks are fierce and in some cases, surprisingly forgiving. Condery’s songwriting leaves the listener unsure if they’re siding with the hero, or secretly rooting for the villain. Line-by-line the verses wrench deeper into shadowy places. Once at the edge, the listener is jerked back into the light. Although, left feeling well…a little sullied.
Even The Dead Love A Parade was born of experienced musicians that chose to leave the bullshit at the door and focus on making simple, aggressive metal on their own terms. Creative control is valuable to the group and harnessing it has allowed listeners a taste of ETDLAP in their purist form. Keep this one on radar.
