Better Lovers – Highly Irresponsible (Album Review)
Better Lovers – Highly Irresponsible
Released: October 25th, 2024
Lineup
Greg Puciato | Vocals
Jordan Buckley | Guitars
Will Putney | Guitars
Steve Micciche | Bass
Clayton “Goose” Holyoak | Drums
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“The most beautiful stories always start with wreckage.” – Jack London.
On December 29th, 2017, the titans of mathcore The Dillinger Escape Plan played their last show with Greg Puciato as their frantic frontman at Terminal 5 in New York City. The stage and equipment were left in wreckage, the beautiful memories of the chaotic quintet will undoubtedly live on for decades to come.
December 11th, 2021, Buffalo’s southern metalcore luminaries Every Time I Die executed their last performance at their annual TID The Season festival; the fact this was to be their final act as ETID was mostly unknown to their countless followers worldwide. The somewhat surprising announcement of the five-piece’s disbandment left thousands of hearts broken and in varying states of wreckage. Their beautiful discography featuring nine full-lengths, is still treasured by an immeasurable number of devotees throughout the globe.
These farewell events occurred almost four years apart to the day, and almost 400 miles away from each other.
492 calendar days later, planet Earth was introduced to Better Lovers with their first single ‘30 Under 13’ taken from their extraordinary EP God Made Me An Animal (review here). 476 calendar days after the unveiling of the EP, October 25th 2024 marks the long-awaited release date of Better Lovers’ debut LP Highly Irresponsible and if interested spectators are going to experience this album for the first time in an enclosed room, beware, you may leave those FOUR walls in wreckage.
Let’s begin the beautiful (brutiful) story of Highly Irresponsible.
‘Lie Between The Lies’ will catch listeners off-guard at first as the initial 37 seconds feature an atmospheric progressive solo guitar introduction that sounds similar to the eeriness of Mastodon’s Crack The Skye (ETID did tour with the prog metal heavyweights in 2019). Once the timer on the track hits 38 seconds though, Jordan Buckley (guitar), Will Putney (guitar/producer), Steve Micciche (bass) and Clayton Holyoak unleash hell. A mighty metallic mathcore onslaught wallops the listenership nearly unexpectedly, but also, perfectly fittingly. This isn’t a fast-paced tornado of intensity either, it is a perpetual brilliant bombardment of tumultuous waves from an unforgiving ocean of dissonance. This might be the only time this scribe has experienced a desire to drown; although when the metallic current is this fascinatingly fierce, the need for a life-saving breath of air seems trivial. Greg Puciato’s entrance is sensationally savage, in amazingly animalistic fashion he shrieks: “So am I where I’m supposed to be? See you pressed ‘bout the way that I’ve gone. Some would rather see you die than be free. But the killer is me, and the night lives alongside the dawn.”
“But The Killer Is Me.” – Seem familiar? One Of Us Is The Killer?
The Dillinger Escape Plan's DNA is prosperously evident throughout the opener, as is the prior prog metal influences. At about three minutes though, a noisecore interlude breaks up the previous instructions before the next tormenting heavy tidal movement strikes, repetitively. We are now lost below the surface of the Better Lovers’ sea, however, let’s remain besieged by their luminant lunacy and forget about the harsh realities of life for nine more chapters. It is undeniably a Better story underwater.
‘Your Misplaced Self’ is a metallic hardcore whirlpool that is beyond bewildering; it is practically torture and it is tremendous for the 90 seconds of frenzy it harbours. Essentially, it is adrenaline in musical form and circle pits will erupt uninstructed assuredly in the live setting. ‘A White Horse Covered In Blood’ is an awe-inspiring amalgamation of DEP in the marvellous melodic moments exhibited with ‘Milk Lizard’ and ‘Black Bubblegum’; stellarly the latter-day articulation of ETID (From Parts Unknown) aggravates the formula flawlessly. Remember the “FOUR walls” discussed earlier? If the witnesses haven’t left them in wreckage at this early juncture, BL will do the destruction lovingly as per film clip below:
‘Future Myopia’ maintains the previous bands’ foundations superbly, yet in a magical display of artistic integrity. Experimentation with nu-metal, industrial wickedness and mathcore chaos finds the five-piece at arguably their peak monstrosity of magnificent metal mayhem. ‘Deliver Us From Life’ is a required breath of air that the audience have been deprived of so far and are in-all-likelihood, craving for survival. An Alice In Chains instructed grunge-sludge ballad that Greg has dived into with his solo output; it acts like a love letter to the greats of that era which encourages sing-alongs and an empowering realisation through its poetry.
‘Drowning In A Burning World’ is a mammoth sea monster dragging the victims to the abyss of volcanic underwater havoc in the shape of mathcore, metalcore, thrash and delightful devastation. This scribe hopes the previous song was a deep breath for the aficionados, because survival is practically impossible from this sensational seizure. ‘Planet Shit’, ‘Desperate Pleasures’, ‘Colossal Wreck’, ‘AWOL’ and ‘Overstayer’ have presence in this grotesquery of greatness – but it is its own divine decimation.
‘Everything Was Put Here For Me’ could have been substituted out for ‘The Flowering’ or 'Two Alive Amongst The Dead', however it also allows Puciato to really illustrate his range in every element he is so remarkably ingenious with musically. There are five very gifted chefs in the Better Lovers’ kitchen, we must enjoy every course that these impossibly innovative artists create. ‘Superman Died Paralyzed’ is thrillingly thrashtastic and listeners will more-than-likely Reign In Blood from the wreckage that is left behind. Especially after the minute-long Botch-driven breakdown that obliterates and shatters the Earth to conclude this crushing crusade.
‘At All Times’ is a slight curveball – characteristics of The Black Queen and Greg’s solo work’s infectious melodies become the focus primarily. However, adventurous movements into post-rock guide this journey, but it broadens into heavier territories, as if Sólstafir covered Soundgarden. It is perplexing, but wonderfully, it is actually hopeless to attempt to move past the composition – similar to the experience of shark cage diving. The ocean that is home to these phenomenal predators is cold, dark and eerie; entering that environment is petrifying. However, one cannot experience this fascinating and spellbinding exploration without descending into the depths; once you are there though, you will want to take it all in.
The title ‘Love As An Act Of Rebellion’ curiously broadcasts a description of a turbulent theatrical production, almost Shakespearean in a sense. As unattainable as it may seem, Better Lovers have actually captured this sentiment in mathcore form. If we were to visit the tale of Romeo & Juliet – there is a world of madness with war between two families, then the two main characters discover a boundless love that they are willing to sacrifice everything for, including even their own lives. Place that cinematic tale into a heavy music composition and you have the conclusion for Better Lovers' debut album Highly Irresponsible.
There is an abundance of wreckage.
More importantly, it is a beautiful story.
Better Lovers – Highly Irresponsible tracklisting
1. Lie Between The Lines
2. Your Misplaced Self
3. A White Horse Covered In Blood
4. Future Myopia
5. Deliver Us From Life
6. Drowning In A Burning World
7. Everything Was Put Here For Me
8. Superman Died Paralyzed
9. At All Times
10. Love As An Act of Rebellion
Rating: 9.5/10
Highly Irresponsible is out October 25th via Sharptone Records. Pre-order/save here
Review by Will Oakeshott @teenwolfwill
