While this may be the sophomore full-length album from New York's
Every Time I Die, it hardly falls into the sophomore slump of which so many acts seem plagued. Instead, this five-piece has taken a smart, safe step with some variations of its metal-core style, but keeps things primarily intact, thus not alienating too many fans. One variation that has been infused into the sound is an occasional Southern rock guitar sound, another is vocals that aren't always at a heart-piercing scream: occasionally there is a singing melody. However, their overall sound on
Hot Damn! is comparable to the likes of
Norma Jean or
Drowningman, while never being derivative. The band has also continued to work upon the intriguing tongue-in-cheek lyrics for which it's become known. With lines like "Maybe someday they'll find that I've washed up...Drag the lake, you'll find it's full of love" ("Floater"), the members of
Every Time I Die continue to show that they've got more in their music than just something for moshing. ~ Kurt Morris