Not Everbody Gets A Happy Ending
http://www.adequacy.net
Strangely, despite listening to this consistently for a week, I’m still not entirely sure what I think of it. I think I may be having trouble reconciling what I believed about the band due to listening to the second single “Existential Baby”, and the sounds I’m hearing on the album. Basically, Die So Fluid represent heavy alternative rock with stomping riffs, which is at times juxtaposed strangely with blistering metal breakdowns and, less impressively, with the pseudo-metal screeching of angst ridden lyrics. Despite the latter points however there is something I really love here, most noticeably the wonderful voice of singer Grog (when she’s actually singing properly) and the awesomely meaty riffs that you just can’t help but bob your head to.
This is the second full-length album from Die So Fluid and when recording started in 2005 with the first song “Gang of One”, it was noted that ‘it actually caused a crisis within the band as they mutually agreed the song was the pinnacle of what they had been trying to achieve musically on Spawn Of Dysfunction (their first album, released in 2001). Not Everybody Gets A Happy Ending then was seen as a chance to more explicitly express the varied influences of the three band members and play around a little with the sound. This is evident upon listening as the album moves from the almost jazzy beginning of “Gang of One”, through to the pure alternative rock of “Existential Baby” and onto the sweeping grandeur of songs like “Throw You Away”, which features an epic string arrangement. I found it tempting to speculate that the title of the album implies that it’s a case of ‘now or never’ for the band with this release and that hopefully, in a UK music scene dominated by generic sounding, jingly guitar driven mediocrity, their exciting, overdriven sound will win out and give them the happy ending they deserve.
On a related note, Die So Fluid are worthy of respect simply because they have managed to retain full ownership and copyright over their music, whereas most bands have fallen under the unruly and unpredictable thumb of major record companies. Not Everybody Gets A Happy Ending was recorded, as noted on the band website, with no guarantees that it would ever be released. This only changed when they met George Jackson who was willing to back them and the release of the album. For me personally, it’s satisfying to see a band taking the power back from the stultifying corporate atmosphere of the music industry.
Like many UK bands who are trying to do something different they have not gained the respect that they deserve. Die So Fluid are not technically newcomers, however for many this album may be the first encounter they have with the band. Receiving very little help from the music press, they have toured extensively in the UK and have supported the likes of Vex Red, Feeder and Drowning Pool and are currently pursuing an exhausting touring schedule of Europe and the US. Purely by hard work and the loyalty of their fan base, they have built up a formidable reputation, particularly in the UK with Not Everybody Gets A Happy Ending currently ranking at Number 22 in the HMV metal chart.
Getting back to the music though and, not wanting to sound like a broken record after my last review, but ranking highly amongst my first impressions is how wonderful vocalist and bass player Grog’s voice actually is. Strangely, it reminds me somewhat of Skin, from Skunk Anansie at times and also, even more strangely, of Alanis Morissette at others. The point is that she has a strong, gutsy voice with an incredible range and, despite not being to my taste, this woman can scream and yell like some kind of banshee (I mean this in a nice way!). A sticking point for me is that often in the middle of a song that is for the most part fantastic (for example, “Gang of One”, “Throw You Away” and the title track, “Not Everybody Gets A Happy Ending”), there will come a point where there is some kind of strange, discordant Nightwish-esque metal breakdown and Grog will start screaming her lyrics in a very guttural fashion. Up until this point I will find myself loving the song and having a great time listening to it, but when this happens it’s almost like watching a good friend walking too close to the edge of a cliff and feeling like you want to grab them before they topple over completely. This is probably just me being strange and obviously if you like metal influences then this will most likely not provoke the same reaction.
The lyrics are another sticking point for me. Although at times they are fantastically evocative, such as, “Child of convention/Have you been let down? Been dragging your cross all over this town/ Your crucifixion has been so drawn out/ But you accept it by drowning out the doubt” from “Throw You Away”. Admittedly, even this doesn’t look so good when written down. However, “I might try but I can never let you go/ You’re like a tear suspended in my soul/ Don’t say this is the greatest love you’ve known/ Unless you’ll be here when we both are bones” frankly just doesn’t cut it for me. There’s just slightly too much ‘teenage angst’ going on here for my liking. Having said that, this is personal opinion and to be honest this didn’t spoil the album for me. It would have been nice though, to hear someone with such an amazing voice singing slightly better lyrics.
The real highlights on this album are, “Gang of One”, with its rebellious and quietly subversive lyrics and frankly wonderful riff. “Existential Baby”, the second single, is possibly the best song on the album for me with a thudding, relentless bass line. “Happy Hallowe’en”, the first single starts off a little bit too classically ‘metal’ for me but breaks down into an epic ending, with Grog proclaiming “Never take presents from strangers or enemies/Cos they come with defects and pretexts”. “Pigsy” has the best riff on the album, but with a slightly weak chorus considering the meatiness of the verses.
I personally don‘t understand “Vorvolaka”, which appears to be about some kind of demonic possession, “A demon seed lives in me/ Vorvolaka/ Exorcise what’s driving me/ Vorvolaka”. Maybe I’m missing out on a nod to some intellectual mythological story that I don’t know about (and would like to know if this is the case), however for me this is the epitome of the lyrical problem I have with this album. “Something to Say” gets skipped every time I listen to the album now. It sounds very punky to me, but not in a good way. It’s supposed to be fast and aggressive I think, but for me it just falls flat.
As mentioned before, Grog’s voice is reminiscent of Skin, and fans of Die So Fluid would do well to check out Skunk Anansie if they haven’t done so already. Another good listen based on this would be Siouxsie and the Banshees (whom the band cite as an influence). Finally, fans of bands such as Deftones and My Bloody Valentine will probably love this.
Overall, this is worth a listen. Some of the music is so deeply evocative, ranging from melancholy and beautiful to rousing and rebellious, that it could well be a grower for me. Despite my personal issues with the lyrics this could become one of my firm favourites, particularly if I just want to listen to something with kick-ass riffs and am in an ‘angry with the world’ kind of mood. If you are a fan of heavy alternative rock veering quite substantially into metal then definitely check this out, you will not be disappointed.
Laura Bettney
04/02/08