Review Summary: Though it wasn't quite a sophomore slump, this could've been a whole lot better.
After releasing what would turn out to be the band's strongest album in their catalogue, BTE made promises that their sophomore record would be heavier and stronger than the self-titled debut. They hyped up
The Dawn of My Death through their official website and their MySpace, and got fans juiced and ready for the release. However, the release ended up being both a half-truth and a sign of a plane crashing, taking all of its passengers down with it.
Don't misunderstand,
Dawn isn't necessarily bad. But, it's not the self-titled. Vocalist Nick Moore still has a unique tone, but many times, auto-tune and programming keep him from reaching his true potential (the chorus in "Life Was All A Dream" might be as epic as the one from "City In A Snowglobe" if not for the voice correction). Previous rhythm guitarist Cory Ridenouer was replaced by Landon Tewers, whom also lends his guttural harsh vocals to the mix. While Tewers is a decent screamer (further demonstrated in his band The Plot In You), his guitar work is less than stellar, and the chemistry between Cory and former lead guitarist Brenden Zapp that flowed throughout the self-titled is sadly missing. Drummer Jarod Hottman turns up occasionally (mainly "The Beast In Me"), but is normally content to fall into the background with the bass.
Though the lyrics are weak and the clean vocals are seriously corrected, the riffs and the fast-pacing of "The Beast In Me" make it an album highlight. "Life Was All A Dream" is the closest the band gets to the perfection of "City In A Snowglobe", and is easily one of the album's strongest tracks. "The Things We've Stood Against" shows all the band members clicking as a powerful, cohesive machine, especially in the interlocking guitar and drum work leading the intro. "The Way We Operate" is a fitting pop/punk number at the end of the album that works due to the energy, but is again dragged down by the vocals.
Sadly, that's the story for a lot of the record. Nick Moore's pitch-corrected, whiny voice brings down the album majorly. In addition, there's a ton of samey sounding filler that sounds like it's all one song ("Because 7 Ate 9", "The Dawn of My Death", "The Me I Used To Be"). Remember the bruising "easycore"/pop/punk from the previous record, like "Why 6 Is Afraid of 7" and "You Talk A Good Game"? Gone, replaced by the cringe-worthy "New Kids In Town" and "So In Love". "So In Love" fails vocally and lyrically, while "New Kids In Town" is a sad attempt to regain the fusion of southern rock and metalcore found in "The Journey Down South".
BTE was never Tool or P86 lyrically, but on their debut, they at least knew how to write emotional, almost heart-felt lyrics. Yeah, those are almost totally absent this time. Though "Life Was All A Dream", "The Things We Stood Against", and "Because 7 Ate 9" manage to connect with the listener with lyrics about finding yourself amidst darkness, "The Way We Operate" and "The Me I Used To Be" are totally cliched and weak. "New Kids In Town" and "So In Love" are horrid, containing party lyrics like "All the people in the front, get in the back" and "When the lights start dimming, you'll be asking me to make this room stop spinning."
Yes, they set the bar high, and yes, I used to idolize this record, but it's honestly extremely weak and almost boring. There was a lot of hype for nothing, and though it wasn't quite a sophomore slump, this could've been a whole lot better.
