dead by april dead by april

Released: 25 May 2009 Label: Spinefarm UK

Dead By April’s debut self-titled album sees the Swedes launch a mix of metalcore and pop complete with both clean and screamo vocals. They describe themselves as “a mixture between harsh metal and melodic pop to bring together a hypnotic mix.” Whilst I’m not sure it’s particularly hypnotic, it is definitely a mix. Singer Jimmie Strimmell’s clean melodic and quite high-pitched pop-style vocals alternate with his death metal-like angry screams.

Angels of Clarity is almost power / thrash metal with a frantic start and death metal vocals before it switches into a pop chorus. Losing You, the hit single from the album stands out as a radio-friendly smash, with tinkling pianos before an Evanescence style introduction leads into a catchy as hell chorus, with great screamo backing vocals.

As an album I’m not sure it completely gels, although it has excellent production. It feels as though they had a bunch of songs and picked what they thought were best and stuck them together, without it really flowing as an album. They also run the risk of alienating both people with the wide spectrum of music involved; many metalheads will not be able to stomach the saccharine pop clean vocals and catchiness of some of the tracks such as the slower What Can I Say?. Dead By April will probably be one of those bands you either love or hate, nothing in between.

Personally I found myself singing along and humming the songs afterwards though. Some of the songs are very radio friendly despite some of the metal core or screams, the first single Losing You or the track Promise Me would sit happily between 30 Seconds to Mars, Atreyu and Linkin Park on Kerrang TV. The simple riffs and keyboards make it very accessible and easy listening whilst still hitting the metal category.

by Lynn Wyeth