In recent years Miss May I have been a band who not only have a firm grasp on their metalcore roots but have branched out into a more sharpened and established straight-up metal sound. Their previous release Rise Of The Lion (2014) didn’t have the same consistency that 2012’s At Heart had and was also lacking the aggression of their previous albums but nevertheless they continued to develop musically and the new album Deathless (released August 7th) is a statement of true maturity and ambition.
The band went back to reputable modern day metal producer Joey Sturgis (Of Mice & Men, Asking Alexandria) who produced their first two albums and the results show a noticeable step up from Rise Of The Lion. Opening track I.H.E, an acronym for the lyrics “I Hate Everything/ I Hate Everyone”, has the grittier edge of their first two releases but boasts a professional polish reminiscent of At Heart, the track starts off with a slow solemn guitar intro and blends into a progression of heavy hitting instrumentals. Vocalist Levi Benton’s punishing screams have only improved across the band’s back catalogue and play complete havoc on this opening track.
Title track Deathless is a testament to what an in-form Miss May I are capable of. The whole second verse is basically one large breakdown which alongside the lyrical content and aggressive vocals, hits you like a right hook. Bassist Ryan Neff’s clean vocals, on this track and throughout most of the record, have some of the most passionate and experimental ranges to match with Levi’s (totally underrated) ability as a screamer. Arise has the most musically melodic elements with some vicious chants that will probably work out to be a giant crowd pleaser played live. However one of the stand out tracks Turn Back The Time, is a collection of crunching guitar riffs, dominant vocals and some of the most potent lyrics the album has to offer and tracks like Trust My Heart (Never Hope To Die) and The Artificial show how easy the band can merge the boundaries of modern metal with the deeper roots of metalcore.
Overall Deathless is an album that firmly fits Miss May I into many genres across the metal world. They can tour with metal elites like Trivium, Killswitch Engage and Bullet For My Valentine and still look right at home at Warped Tour. This album shows development and is the most vastly accessible body of work to date that will surely plant them even further on the popularity pedestal for modern day metal.
Deathless is released August 7th via Rise Records and you can stream the album in full below:
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