Every Time I Die expands metal genre
By Richard Davis
In a nutshell
Band Name: Every Time I Die
Band Members: Keith Buckley: Vocals, Jordan Buckley: Guitar, Andy Williams: Guitar, Mike Novak: Drums, Josh Newton: Bass
Genre: Metal
Origin: Buffalo, New York
Saturday October 6 — Metal band Every Time I Die completed the California leg of their national tour with a performance at Los Angeles’ legendary Wiltern Theater.
The Buffalo, New York band, known for sardonic, witty lyrics and strong southern rock elements, played to a nearly sold-out audience at the huge venue named for the street corner — Wilshire and Western — it has occupied since the 1930s. Joining ETID were fellow metal bands Poison The Well, Maylene and The Sons of Disaster and Underoath.
ETID is a stand-out metal band able to continually redefine the metal genre instead of being defined by it. Unlike other bands that might fear a fan revolt, sheepishly adhere to rules that sometimes smother creativity and artistic growth, ETID has stayed open artistically and continue to explore and expand their scope. “We’re not all metal kids trying to be a metal band,” says guitarist Andy Williams during an interview before the show. Our audience doesn’t even bat an eye when we do something new.”
One reason for the band’s uniqueness may be due to each member’s disparate musical interests and influences. “One of us likes pop like Green Day, another likes Foo Fighters. I’m a big fan of classic rock. It all comes out when we perform,” says the pensive Williams, who sports a fully realized “Grizzly Adams” beard. “From the beginning we had wanted to create something different.”
That ‘something different’ is not only evident in the band’s style and sound but also in their songs. Titles like A Rebel without Applause, Apocalypse Now and Then, Champing At The Bit, Depressionista, Ebolarama, Gloom and How It Gets That Way, and Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Battery — is indicative of the deep vein of wit and thoughtfulness that runs through the band’s artistry.
About the song writing process, Williams says “We spend about three days writing a song and then recording it. After that, we just put it away for awhile. When we go back to the studio a few months later, we’re able to consider the new song with fresh eyes and ears. This lets us capture the original inspiration and then improve on it before it gets stale.”
ETID must be doing something right. They’ve become so popular that they now stay on tour nine months out of the year. “I actually prefer touring,” says Williams, who still chooses to sleep on the floor while on tour to keep it fun.
It might be said that the band, which formed in 1998, grew up on the road. “We’ve become much more professional and responsible, says Williams. “In the beginning, we would wreck the stage during our sets and be totally heedless of the damage we caused. That changed though when one day we almost got kicked off the tour. We still sometimes wreck things but now we pay for it. Working with other professional bands has also matured us. We are very serious about making sure we give a great show. We give them everything we got and feel bad when we have a bad show. If one of us is sick or something goes wrong it’s the worse feeling.”
In addition to releasing four full-length albums and numerous compilations, the band songs can be heard in films including the 2007 horror flick SAW 4. Their biggest exposure, however, comes from the inclusion of their song The New Black in the uber-popular Playstation TV game Guitar Hero II. “It’s crazy,” says Williams referring to the game’s popularity, “Sony has sold millions of those games. Of all the different types of media we’re involved in, that game has been the biggest engine.”
ETID is also looking forward to performing live on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. Well, maybe “looking forward” isn’t the right phrase. Commenting on the October 31 performance, Williams is rather brief. “I’m terrified.”
The Wiltern was opened as a movie palace in the early years of Hollywood. Its art deco design, including a sunburst canopy, which adorns the main entrance, is indicative of the 1930s. In recent years it has become one of the most popular venues for major touring acts.
Web site related to this article
http://www.myspace.com/everytimeidie
Richard Davis (ricksamer66@yahoo.com) covers the music and entertainment scene in Los Angeles.