Die So Fluid - The World Is Too Big For One Lifetime
CD Info
2010
DR2 Records / Global Music
11 Tracks
English Lyrics
What do you get when the blood of Green Day, Halestorm, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The 69 Eyes is mixed in a cauldron by a leather-clad, raven-haired sorceress with an electrifying voice? Most likely your answer will be, "Huh?! What the hell are you talking about?" Anyone who’s heard of Die So Fluid, though, knows their enchantment well. Since 2001, this UK trio has made it their mission to craft dark rock music that defies stylistic boundaries yet has universal appeal. That’s exactly what Die So Fluid delivers on The World Is Too Big For One Lifetime, one of the most entertaining "femme metal" records in a while.
Released in 2011, The World sees Die So Fluid working once again with long-time producer Mark Williams to mix up the band’s wide range of influences. Punk, hard rock, alternative metal, grunge, even ska and blues – these styles converge to create a vibrant realm of powerful, eclectic music that’s best described by the band’s name. Each member of Die So Fluid brings unique contributions to the music. Drummer Al Fletcher gives the music its rhythmic backbone, while guitarist Drew Richards rips and chugs through each song with skill. And then there’s the show-stealing goth-chick bassist / frontwoman Grog. She exercises her fierce, British-accented voice as if it’s the most supple muscle in her body. It’s a kind of fearlessness makes the melodies more catchy, the crescendos more rousing, and The World all the more enjoyable.
Die So Fluid’s music naturally exudes charisma, and so the best songs on The World are the charismatic ones. "Mercury," the album’s first single, cartwheels into permanent memory with nimble bass lines and one of the record’s most memorable refrains: "Do good things come to those who wait? / Or do they wait forever? / … Our souls are still joined at the seams / I would never take your dreams away." Richard's guitarwork runs the gamut throughout the album, from quick jabs on "Raven" to swaggering rhythms on "Hearts Are Hollow." Grog’s vocals remain the focal point of Die So Fluid, however. She has the most fun on "How Vampires Kiss," where she chants and shrieks her way through the racy lyrics.
Even the more solemn songs on The World have their own allure. Thick guitars and Grog’s screams at the end of "Storm" portray a hurricane of conflicted emotions. "Figurine," on the other hand, is delightful psychedelic distortion complete with metaphorical lyrics and rolling drums and ambiances. However, Die So Fluid hits its finest note on The World with "What a Heart Is For." The structure, melodies, and melodies make it a strong song craft-wise. That’s before it hits you with layers of crisp instrumentation and forlorn atmospheres, then lifts you with a crescendo amplified by Grog’s wails. If a great song can be properly executed, it can become incredible – and that’s what Die So Fluid accomplishes with "What a Heart Is For."
Die So Fluid rarely misses a beat on The World. The only skips come on two of the album’s slower songs, and for different reasons. The melancholic lounge-rocker "Themis" is gorgeous, but is too laid-back for The World and feels out of place. Then there’s the title track, which takes too long to climb out of its quiet hole and then feather-floats to a dull ending. Also, The World is Die So Fluid’s "softest" and most commercial album to date. This, of course, has its pros and cons. I personally think that the new, more streamlined material retains Die So Fluid’s eclectic personality. However, The World lacks the post-grunge feel and meandering structures found on the band’s two previous albums, Spawn of Dysfunction (2004) and Not Everybody Gets a Happy Ending (2007). If that’s the kind of Die So Fluid you’re craving, perhaps The World won’t satisfy your hunger.
And if it doesn’t, that’s a shame. The World Is Too Big For One Lifetime is so much fun that you’d have to be an absolute grouch to not like it. It’s also one of those rare albums where you can tell the musicians are enjoying themselves on almost every track. You can hear this in the punch from the guitars, the bite of the drums, and the spunk in Grog’s voice. And, I can’t close this review without giving Die So Fluid credit for their effective style-mashing. How they came up with this multifaceted music and make it seem oh so effortless is beyond me. This can mean only one thing: Die So Fluid knows exactly what they’re doing. And, that’s why this darkly glamorous World is worth listening to.
8.5 / 10
Best Songs: "What a Heart Is For," "Mercury," "Figurine,"
Recommended for fans of Green Day, Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, and other hard rock bands
The World Is Too Big For One Lifetime is available to purchase through Amazon, iTunes, and other online and physical retailers worldwide.
