Review: Monsters Scare You! – Die A Legend
Artist: Monsters Scare You!
Album: Die A Legend
Rating: 10/10
Track List:
1. Legends and Legions
2. Brohemian Rap City
3. Elephant Graveyard
4. Smiling’s My Favorite
5. Wolfman’s Got Nards
6. Give Me Some Sugar Baby
7. Interlude
8. I’m Going To Sleep Real Good Tonight
9. Shut Up, Our Song Is On!
10. I Wish I Could Quit You
11. Shirts Vs. Skins
12. Suck It
13. The Light That Only Lasted So Long
Seattle’s Monsters Scare You! have become legends in their local scene and it’s not hard to see why. With 2 well-received self-released EPs under their belt, the band clearly know what they’re doing. Now they are getting ready to release their debut full-length album which locks in their sound more than anything they’ve previously released. “Die A Legend” is full of catchy choruses, lyrics that will empower you, have you crying, make you feel angry and everything in between. The instrumentation is better than ever, making the heavier parts truly feel heavier and the more melodic parts feel as epic as they sound. The vocal harmonies, especially the melodies, have been honed to such perfection that many aspiring singers may find themselves envying it and the screams are louder, better and more projected. The debut single from the album, “Shut Up, Our Song Is On!” was just a taste of the new sound that they have embraced and it quickly became a fan favorite! Let’s jump into a little more about what makes this album the masterpiece it was destined to be from the start.
The album opens with “Legends and Legions” which features an incredibly electronically-oriented intro, followed by some pretty gritty riffage by Brandon “Bird” Ereth and Chad Keller. The clean vocals that open this track are just too incredible to put into words. This isn’t your average “auto-tuned” singing, this is raw vocal ability at it’s finest! “I will die a legend, I won’t be forgotten! My fate was never in my hands and I’ll struggle til the end!” are the stand-out lyrics on this track to me. The track ends with the same intro it came in with and fades out slowly.
Let’s talk about my favorite track from the album, musically. The riff that opens up “Smiling’s My Favorite” is one that is incredibly memorable, simply because you wouldn’t expect to hear it open up a track like this. It’s slow and simple, but has a slight edge to it. The band released a lyric video for this track, but upon my first listen of the track long before that, I knew this was going to be my favorite. “Take the things you thought you knew and toss em to the side. The common misconceptions you have burned all the confidence inside your mind and now I’m goin’ for the throat! Move out of my way before you get tripped in my wake.” “You can count on one thing, you’ll never wipe the smile off my face.” “We’ve seen this story played out a thousand times before, but if I’m the villain, what does the hero have in store?” These lyrics are key to understanding the meaning behind this track, but it’s simple. You should never judge a book by it’s cover, because you will always be proven wrong one way or another. This song, particularly, seems to be about those who put you down and hate on what you do. As these people thrive off of their hate, you’re smiling knowing you’re proving them wrong. Never let anyone get to you or keep you from doing what you know you’re capable of.
The next track we’re going to talk about could be a dance club anthem. Seems impossible on a post-hardcore album, right? Wrong! The band has explored many different sounds and has proven that each and every one of them work. “I Wish I Could Quit You” is part techno, part dance beat, part R&B and represents just how much this band is willing to experiment. The result is an infectious track that will have you dancing, banging your head and singing at the top of your lungs. This is sure to be an interesting one to watch live!
The last track on the album is “The Light That Only Lasted So Long”, which is interesting enough by the title, right? Well, this track has a slower vibe to it but is still every bit as epic as the tracks preceding it. It’s captivating, entrancing and even has a little bit of a rock feel to it. But, what you don’t know about this track is that it’s just an outro. Fret not, though, for the “Light” at the end of this tunnel is none other than the studio version of a track released over a year ago acoustically. The track I speak of is “Devil In Disguise” and it’s quite possibly even more moving in it’s studio form than when it was played live all that time ago. It features Allana Smith of To Paint the Sky, who has a voice that perfectly compliments the track. This track will have you smiling, crying and singing along, as I have found myself doing many times. It’s as infectious as it is beautiful and may possibly have you breaking your replay button.
Final Thoughts:
“Die A Legend” has something for everyone. Whether it be heavy, devastating instrumentals, catchy choruses and meaningful lyrics, powerful screams and emotion unparalleled or the incredible duet hiding at the end of the album. I found myself loving this album more and more with each listen, but after just one listen I was instantly captured. If this isn’t enough to capture your attention, pick up the album on July 9th when it’s released on Century Media and judge for yourself! For now, I will leave you with a few links to check out!
Monsters Scare You! on Facebook
“Shut Up, Our Song Is On!” video
