Get Scared
Demons (2015)
Track Listing
1. Buried Alive
2. Suffer
3. Addict
4. Under My Skin
5. Demons
6. The Devil's in the Details
7. What If I'm Right
8. Take a Bow
9. Relax, Relapse
10. Second Guessing
11. R.I.P
3 words: Dark, Pessimistic, Ominous
Overall
DO NOT listen to this album if you're in a good mood!
Demons is an album full of every negative emotion you can imagine. Being
Get Scared's third album, fans have been anxiously awaiting the release of
Demons to confirm the direction of the band. With the two previous albums (
Best Kind of Mess [2011], Everyone's Out To Get Me [2013] ),
Get Scared have progressively moved away from their original Emo/Pop-Punk sound to pursue a heavier Post-Hardcore direction.
Demons provides the listener with huge riffs that will have you gritting your teeth at the end of every passage, all while complimenting the albums dark lyrics. The choruses are still catchy but there are strong ominous undertones under pretty much every track.
Get Scared's third album
Demons, lives up to the name and is definitely one you'll remember when you're having a bad day.
Best Tracks:
Buried Alive
Suffer
Addict
(Conveniently the first 3 tracks of the album.)
Honorable Mention:
Under My Skin: Does Get Scared Djent? Yes! This song has amazing guitar work and really emphases the guitar style change in the band. The song presents you with with an ultimatum;
Do I listen to the percussive Djent'y guitar? or
Do I latch onto the hypnotizing vocals?
If you like: Motionless In White, Chiodos, Picture Me Broken
Associated Genres: #PostHardcore, #Emo, #Djent
Musically
Get Scared brings to the table an above average album. The album has slight innovations by combining new Djent elements with mid 2000's Emo vocals. You could say songwriting lacks a bit when it comes to contrast. The contrast is always present, though it always seems to follow the same formula, (Heavy Djent'y Riff >> Sing/Scream >> HUGE drawn out chorus). On the flip side, this leaves an extremely large amount of space for the vocals which are a huge part of Get Scared's sound. Therefore, this space may be intentional.
Vocals: The vocals from this band are definitely one of a kind. The cleans are easily understood and have evolved from generic emo wails to powerful melodic vocal phrases. The screams have improved, a lot. They have distinct pitches and have impeccable diction.
Guitars: The guitars in this album are heavily polished. This could be due to
Get Scared appearing to have made the switch from tube amps to digital. All the lows are incredibly tight and the riffs are punchy. The guitars were clearly an element
Get Scared wanted to showcase. The new Djent elements, Tones, and overall playstyle changes are immense compared to their older albums. This probably has a lot to do with their line up change.
Get Scared recently added guitarist
Adam Virostko while their old guitarist
Bradley "Lloyd" Iverson shifted to bass. The Leads seem to be a minor detail in this entire album and don't seem to hold a strong presence in
Demons.
The guitars this time around are all about the riffs. Also,
Get Scared have now made the switch to 7 Strings. Their entire guitar section has been rebuild and we can tell!
Bass: The bass is another minor detail in this album unfortunately. It's there, and fills out the rhythm section like it's supposed to. The bass doesn't do anything extraordinary for
Demons but also doesn't cause any harm. Though, you know what they say, "If it ain't broke...".
Drums: The drums this go around are quite interesting actually. They're playful and accent at all the right times. Strangely the drums seem to be specifically in tune with the vocals. They compliment and add bursts of flare to the vocals playful melodies. The drums seem to be playing along to the vocals during most choruses, rather than actually holding the rest of the rhythm section down.
Secret Weapon: Vocals
Without question
Demons is a vocally driven album. The riffs are strong, however take a back seat almost always to the elaborate lyrics. The choruses always hook you, and the playful "sing songy" vocal note choice is what makes this band unique. Vocally and lyrically this album is brilliant.
Final Analysis
7.9/10
Demons is a special kind of album. I wouldn't recommend putting this on in a car full of your friends, unless they're specifically into pessimistic lyrics or dark themes. This is an above average album with it's own special appeal. If you are in a bad place mentally and need a new coping method, this album will be your new best friend. Overall I think this a large success for Get Scared. While everything isn't perfect on this album, Get Scared have started down a new musical path appealing to a new audience without abandoning their original fan base. Old fans of this band may be a little turned off at first, but if they can make it past the first half of the album they will see that the original despondent Emo aura still lingers.
Lavaux
Tuesday, February 9, 2016