A lot of you are familiar with Every Time I Die, for better or worse, for love or hatred. So with that out of the way, let me say that as much as I like punk rock and metal, I have always been a sucker for riffing rock and roll. Any band that incorporates it into their sound will have my attention for a least a bit, and if they're actually good at utilizing it in their sound, an eternity. The signs were there for Every Time I Die to fall into this category for me ever since "I've Been Gone a Long Time" from Hot Damn!. It became more prevalent on 2005's Gutter Phenomenon to the point of it removing the "core" from their "metal" in many listeners' minds. The Big Dirty is the next step in Every Time I Die's musical evolution and it couldn't be any more gratifying for a fan of rock music.

The dual guitar attack of Andy Williams and Jordan Buckley is far from being technically mind-blowing, but it's FUN. Big metallic rock riffs dominate this entire album, in some songs more so than others ("INRIhab," "We'rewolf," "Rendez-voodoo," "Buffalo Gals"), yet the heaviness that branded them as a "metalcore" band to begin with is still present in every song. Songs like "Cities and Years" and "A Gentleman's Sport" are among the heaviest tunes the band has ever crafted while songs such as "No Son of Mine," "Rebel Without Applause" and "Depressionista" barrel along at the break-neck guitar speed that the band has always incorporated into their sound. Williams and Buckley have refined and further perfected the guitars on this record and shown that Every Time I Die is a beast that shows no sign of slowing down. Similarly, Mike Novak's drumming has only grown more impressive with time, his abilities laying a solid foundation for the rest of the band to work on and additionally going above and beyond himself throughout the course of the album.

Vocalist Keith Buckley's voice has also become much stronger in all aspects. His growling yell packs more punch than ever before while his actual singing abilities are surpisingly clear and vivacious, even recalling Glassjaw's Daryl Palumbo on "Leatherneck." His usual tongue-in-cheek lyrics are evident as always on every song and continue being an important part of the Every Time I Die equation.

All in all, this album is an incredible step up in the prowess of the band and proves that they are a pillar of modern metal (just ask Brian Posehn). If it's not your sort of thing, take a clue from the slam-dancers and moan about the lack of breakdowns while missing out on all the fun.