On their fourth full-length overall, 2007's The Big Dirty, Every Time I Die continue to unleash furious hardcore-tinged metal. While countless bands have gotten increasingly experimental and even downright artsy fartsy with each successive release, it appears as Every Time I Die is going in the opposite route -- refining and focusing their sound/attack even more so. And this is certainly not a bad thing -- the intensity is more evident than ever before. Singer Keith Buckley lives to scream and guitarists Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams worship rubbery guitar riffs and speedy chord progressions, as sampled throughout such enraged ditties as the album opening one-two punch of "No Son of Mine" and "Pigs Is Pigs." Elsewhere, the melodic "Rendez-Voodoo" brings to mind a passing musical resemblance to Guns N' Roses -- which shouldn't come as a surprise to hardcore fans, as the group appeared on a G N' R tribute a while back (2004's Bring You to Your Knees). One thing is perfectly clear though, these lads sure do love to rage n' roll. [A 'Special Edition' CD with a bonus DVD track was also released.] ~ Greg Prato