A Day To Remember get focused on the new album Bad Vibrations.
https://vimeo.com/181066353
Text review:
Among an ongoing record label lawsuit, constant touring and a broken heart due to a British pro-wrestler, A Day To Remember still find ways to push on and do what they love in just about any way they want. Ocala’s metalcore, hardcore, punk rock, hard rock or whatever sub-genre you may personally categorize the band under is a great example of keeping your eyes forward with the foot on the gas.
Bad Vibrations is the sixth full album from A Day To Remember where the band spent a secluded vacation in the mountains for time together just to write the new music. The band is delivering their latest album in a way wildly unfamiliar to them as they normally write casually and just for fun, but this time they are writing about feelings of stress and anxiety while giving Bad Vibrations everything they have. As the writing for 2016’s album was more focused, ADTR front man Jeremy McKinnon explained in an interview: “We completely changed the way we wrote, recorded and mixed this album. It was one of the most unique recording experiences we’ve ever had.”
It’s easy to understand the direction and overall theme of an album when hearing the terms stress and anxiety paired with an album title Bad Vibrations. Hearing it screamed at you with bass drums and low end guitar riffs may be a bit of a new experience for some as most therapists prefer talking about a subject like this gently as opposed to blowing out windows when relating to problems with anxiety.
The first single Paranoia, released back in March of this year, delves into that focused writing style with a bit more emotion and catharsis. Although the song has been out for several months now it still feels as somewhat of a refreshing pace from the band and not exactly the overly loud and upfront presentation through your subwoofers that many ADTR songs have been in the past.
Paranoia is the right blend of a sing along chorus paired with verses that are rough and loud. The breaks between vocal lines for the guitars make the song feel well paced and make the listening experience worth your time. From the opening guitar and McKinnon’s shouting to the catchy tag line of a time-bomb ticking in your head, Paranoia feels strong and makes you want to play it several times in one sitting.
After a few listens to a song like Paranoia you can tell that this song took time to construct. And when you listen through the album Bad Vibrations you get that impression many times. Just like in the song Paranoia where it feels like different elements are used, there are many different styles and speeds throughout this album that point out the new writing style that the band implemented. While songs like Naivety and We Got This have more of a punk vibe, tracks like Exposed and the title track are where you feel the heaviness that the band has been known for in the past. There is definitely a lean toward the punk side in the album, especially as the track list goes on toward the end, but it all still feels very unique from the band and doesn’t sway away too far from A Day To Rememeber’s past works.
Blink-182 was a big influence on the band and songs like Naivety and the other more punk focused tracks on this album truly show that. There is still a lot of heavy moments in Bad Vibrations, but this album definitely sways more toward the punk rock and borderline hardcore sound in this metalcore band. At just over three minutes, Naivety feels like a upbeat fun song while still focusing on topics that may make some feel distressed when relating to getting older and feeling the stress of life. There are some quotes online of the band saying this is the heaviest they’ve ever been. In fairness, I don’t know if I completely agree. There are many more slow and melodic moments than people may expect, but that is to the albums advantage as they are done well. Bad Vibrations feels deep and layered with many different emotions.
With statements about Bad Vibrations being “the heaviest album the band has done” and “something that has changed the way the band from here on”, it’s safe to say everyone involved it deeply invested and hopeful for what’s to come. And while I may argue how heavy the album is overall, I still can’t deny that the band has created many good songs on an album full of expression and memorable hooks. Overall, A Day To Remember made something worth remembering. The band’s efforts in more focused music writing are apparent and it feels that the band is going in a direction worth following. While not perfect, you definitely can have a good time with Bad Vibrations.
