For the past couple of months, Dead Days, the powerful Canadian metalcore band, has been at hard work in the studio preparing to present their latest release followed by their previous success with 'Past Life,' which set high expectations for their most devoted fans. However, Dead Days is one of those bands that never falters to their listeners and always stay relentless. With their new masterpiece, 'Death Song,' Dead Days has not only met but surpassed their own limits of creation.
Maintaining their characteristic melodic yet aggressive essence, Dead Days has reinvented themselves with this new release, gifting to us with a true anthem of resilience. "Death Song" feels precisely like that—a song with incredibly memorable and iconic lyrical structure delivering its message in a darker tone this time. It arrives to challenge not only what most frustrates us in times of struggle, but also to question our own actions thad leaded us to that destiny.
About The Band
Hailing from London, Ontario, the Canadian band Dead Days is an explosive metalcore group formed in 2019. They recorded their debut EP, self-titled, with producer Lee Albrecht (Hollow Front, Sleepwaker), achieving immediate success with the release of their first two singles in early 2020. The singles garnered media coverage and were featured on Spotify playlists across various platforms.
The COVID-19 pandemic halted any opportunity for live shows, so the band began writing and recording more songs in August 2020 with Justin "JD" DeBlieck (former member of Ice Nine Kills). This led to the band signing with Theoria Records in 2021 and eventually releasing their EP "Tyrants" in 2022, where the singles "Suffering" and "Tombstone" garnered multiple playlist inclusions on streaming platforms and positive reviews from specialized media.
Continuing their collaboration with DeBlieck, the highly anticipated single "Past Life" was independently released in August 2023, receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews. Their next single, "Death Song," recently released a couple weeks ago serves as a glimpse of what they have been preparing for 2024.
About The Release
Officially premiered on November 30, 2023, "Death Song" stands as their second release of the year. Following the success of their previous single, "Past Life," which has amassed nearly 7,500 Spotify plays to date, the band has decided to continue dazzling their over 4,000 monthly listeners with this new song. It invites us to explore the complexities associated with depression, frustration, and anxiety.
Vocalist Don Tuer reveals that this song came to him at his lowest point.
"I wrote Death Song when I was in a deep place of resentment and despair. It felt like the world around me was trying to make me give up and fall apart. Cathartic is the only word I can think of when it comes to this song. It's basically a metaphorical line drawn in the sand and we dare you to cross it. We've been pulled so far down and hated ourselves more than any other person could, so you can't hurt us anymore.”
Don Tuer - Vocalist / Frontman
In Depth Analysis
It's well known that when the singer starts to whisper; you know you're about to die into the pit. And that's exactly how "Death Song" begins. Through its 3 minutes and a 40 seconds of extension , it keeps the hype at its peak from start to finish.
Don Tuer (Vocalist) makes his grand entrance, proclaiming the words, "Sing along to the sound of your Death song," as it was a true a declaration of war, that inmediatly gives the song a unique personality from the first seconds.
Following this, a catchy and incredibly heavy guitar riff welcomes us head-on, where Jimmy Folkes and Jimmy Van Pam establish the melodic structure of the song with their sharp guitar licks, where simultaneously, they deliver us a punch directly to the face without any kind of anesthesia.
The precision in Adam Linka's drumming, along with Wayne Jefferson's distorted bass, gives the song a unique depth, blending seamlessly with the performance of both guitarists solidifying that Dead Days as a serious deal.
In "Death Song," the band invites us to explore the complexities of the human mind and emotions when it hits rock bottom, showing how everything can distort rapidly when depression, frustration, and anxiety knock on our door. With a dark tone and a necessary touch of aggression, Dead Days manages to capture these challenging moments with incredible precision—an authentic portrayal of our reality when facing difficult times.
Unlike other bands tackling similar themes, Dead Days approaches it from a challenging perspective, both towards others and ourselves, encouraging us to experience pain and self-criticism as a means to find our inner strength. The verses that resonate, "I never loved myself enough, To tell you to go f*ck yours, And now I'm stuck, With this sound in my head," perfectly reflect this phenomenon, making us understand that not only those who harm us are responsible for it, but there's also a responsibility on our part for not putting ourselves in a strong defending position.
This premise takes on significant relevance in current times, as it seems increasingly challenging for both us and others to recognize the consequences of our own actions that have led us to the abyss. Thus, "Death Song" arrives to restore balance when things spiral out of control. Even when it seems like life has turned its back on us, finding a way out also involves looking within ourselves and walk back the path we've drawn in our lives.
As the song progresses, it becomes noticeable that Dead Days showcases carefully polished sound; a production of the highest quality evident not only in its exquisite equalization and dynamic range but also reflecting the band's evolution over time. Through the use of various musical resources such as 'scratch' effects, 'glitches', 'panning tricks', and much more, they create a dynamic auditory landscape that keeps the listener engaged throughout its entirety.
Highlight Moment (2:16): Remember when we mentioned that if you hear the vocalist whisper, you should fear for your integrity? Well, you should. Dead Days employs the callback technique, making us think we've returned to the beginning of the song. But this time, through the phrase "It's creeping up your spine, Can you feel it yet?" they gift us one of the best breakdowns of 2023. Ambient sounds, filtered guitars, overlapping vocals—this breakdown is undoubtedly one of the most memorable we've had the opportunity to hear and will definitely urge you to jump into the pit if you haven't already.
While Dead Days' musical journey began just a couple of years ago, precisely in 2021 with "Doom & Gloom," this song establishes the band's continuity and commitment to staying active in the Canadian metalcore scene. With each release, they manage to surprise their most ardent fans reaching new listeners around the world everyday who enjoy this magnificent genre.
We recommend you adding this track to your daily playlist right away! So you never forget to stand your ground everytime life tries to f**k you up and remember what hardcore kids are we made of ;)
We extend a warm invitation to our community of readers and listeners to follow Dead Days on their social media channels to stay updated on their latest news and new releases. Additionally, we encourage everyone not only to enjoy this metalcore masterpiece but also to explore their entire discography, which you can find here.
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