Get Dead

Honesty Lives Elsewhere (2016)

RENALDO69

Sam King as an engine is what propels Get Dead. Powerfully so at that. Bad News was one of those albums that felt like you released every ounce of frustration into the abyss and earmarked how much heart and soul he put into every word on the mic. His worn-out, raspy delivery unfolds as expected on Honesty Lives Elsewhere but this time around, it feels more triumphant musically. Their sound feels a tad more expansive but still sticks to its stylistic guns of raw, quick-tempo punk stringing together a few other genres subtly to relay Get Dead's ever-so-consistent message of kicking ass even when down.

King's much more cynical this time around. Bitter? Maybe. His songwriting comes to the forefront with even more passion and energy than what's been accomplished so far and you can turn to the acoustic/folk tracks like "Choke" (which feels made for a Tarantino film) and "Ordnance". This is his time to shine and slow down his angry rants. And if you're familiar with Get Dead, you know there are a lot. His manic fits match how well they sound playing faster and with more conviction. " Abandoned Suites" is one example. Topping these off are a bunch of slick solos fitting in between and driving their catchier shout-alongs on even more. Nice to hear them plop in some ska influences ("Grandiose") as well as a twinkly skeleton to "Keep Rowing, Stupid" to reiterate that amid their punk spine, they love to sprinkle little curve balls here and there.

"Cliffs" has that Tiger Army feel to it especially for fans of V but at day's end, it's the thumping bass-lines, huge melodic hooks and how pissed yet slightly different King delivers on each track. They all have character and personality in them to match the big shadow cast before. "Dyin' is Thirsty Work" encapsulates what this album's about and more so, what their older material brought forth. Attitude and a spit in the face of adversity.