Review written by Annie Schlottman and Dan Nazar
Annie
The popular modern alternative metal band Pop Evil recently released a new album called Skeletons, and fans of this Michigan quintet are sure to hear a progression to a heavier sound compared to previous albums. The tone of this album also seems to be a bit darker, but there are still themes of hope, courage, and inspiration that will remind you of earlier Pop Evil songs.
Members of Pop Evil include Leigh Kakaty (lead vocals); Dave Grahs (guitar, backing vocals); Nick Fuelling (guitar); Hayley Cramer (drums); and Joey “Chicago” Walser (bass). Pop Evil was formed in 2001, and Kakaty is the only original member. The band is with the MNRK Music Group record label.
In order to fully understand the direction in which Pop Evil’s music has been heading, I listened to their last two albums in their entirety – Versatile (2001) and Pop Evil (2018). In my opinion, the new music on Skeletons is definitely a little harder than on those last two albums. There is almost a metalcore feel at times with the occasional hard vocals.
My friend Dan Nazar and I collaborated on this review, and he and I each chose a few songs to highlight. His songs are below.
Dan
This album has a heavy theme of mental health issues, and how we fight through them to become a stronger person than when we first got hit with these issues. Even through the decay we can become better people if we really want to.
“Paranoid (Crash And Burn)”
The first song I am going to write about is “Paranoid (Crash and Burn)”, which is the second track on the album. The song is about being paranoid, having the voices in your head be your worst enemies, and having everyone see your scars even when you do not want them to. It starts with a hard guitar riff being played over a good amount of time for build up, then everything else comes in like a shock to the system. It’s very catchy and pretty heavy. I like the melody and the lyrics. Speaking of the lyrics, a few lines into the song — “The scars from my past are like matches/Soaked in kerosene, now/Everyone can see” — matches soaked in kerosene will burn really bright. It could also burn a house down if you let it, so more than likely everyone could see the pain in his eyes. The chorus is a cry for help. Could someone help him when he’s falling into the deep, dark pits of his mind? Will someone save him from himself? Then the repetition of “The voice in my head is a threat” with the word “paranoid” in the background — he could very well be paranoid. This could cause him to “crash and burn” if it goes on long enough as it usually leads to a self-sabotage of sorts. Towards the end the singer states “I don’t know how it all began/And I don’t want it all to end me” and “I pushed you out to keep it inside”. He is pushing something or someone away to keep the paranoia inside, even though maybe he should not do this if it is just paranoia. It is a great song with meaningful lyrics and awesome instrumentals.
“Skeletons”
The next song I want to discuss is the album title track, “Skeletons”. It actually is a little bit softer with a country rock vibe. There is a tambourine in the back track playing. The song itself switches between country rock and just rock. At some points when it is slower there is a more distinguished country rock vibe, but when everything kicks in it flows more to the rock side of the music. I feel that the lyrics are a critique of the world and ourselves as humans. “Whenever it’s sundown with nowhere to go/I’m running from the dead of night/So I drive down a lonely road/Praying for the morning light” is the first verse. After sundown a lot of people go to sleep and that’s when everything during the day(s) that you may have done wrong or thought you screwed up takes a hold. Some people go for long car rides to listen to music or have things to cope with their daily life, but it is really just to escape the thoughts of the night to get to another day. The song talks about how turning on the news is now a hellish ringside preview to a world that’s gone mad. I think that part is true, too, as everything on the news has to be negative or divisive to get views nowadays. The more we watch the more we spin and the more we spin the more we lose ourselves to our own demons. We become broken down, lonely, and lost. One of the lines that really gets me in this song is “What doesn’t kill us leaves a hole in our soul”. It seems like it is the opposite of “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”. Although both are correct to some degree, we as humans need human contact that is not negative. For the most part, all we see or hear is negative and so we all break down and can fall to our own demons if we let it happen. I think that “Chase a satellite, get lost in outer space” has something to do with the digital age and how this is making everything worse rather than better for us as well. All in all, it is a great song that deals with human interaction — how we treat each other individually – and the global news spectrum.
“Who Will We Become”
“Who Will We Become” has a heavier guitar and drum track but not so heavy that it overtakes the lyrics in any shape or form. I almost think this was done on purpose to give the lyrics more attention because the band thought that the lyrics to this song were more important. This is not to say that the instrumentals are bad. They are pretty good, if not a little bit typical for a rock song. The song, in my opinion, is about events that you cannot control taking a hold of your daily life, and you have two choices — you can choose to be consumed by them, or realize the fact that you can’t control these events, so why let them control you? “Are we caught in the deep end? Is there hope for a sign?” in the first verse sounds like we are past the point of no return, and questions if there is hope that we could turn this ship around. I think the next few lines are more political — “Are we stuck in the future? Where the blind lead the blind?”. Politicians do not have our best interests at heart no matter what you think. They seem to be out of touch, a little too rich for their own good and it shows in their policy or sometimes lack thereof. The chorus is the central theme of it all as well, stating “We may not control the events that happen to us . . . But we have a choice to choose who we will become. Who will we become?”. This emphasizes the point I made at the beginning — you do have a choice in how events you can’t control impact you. The bridge is also really cool, too. In my opinion, taking all your misery and fear and burning it all down is a way to start anew. The instrumentals are cool with a small solo after the bridge, but the lyrics are what make this song really shine.
I would check this album out if I were a new or old Pop Evil fan. They always make great songs with meaningful lyrics, though if you are looking for heavy metal music this is more alternative rock than heavy metal. This does not take away from any of their music, though. I love this album and would recommend it to anyone who is into the heavy alternative rock sound.
Annie
“Eye Of The Storm”
This was the first single released off the Skeletons album, and became a hit right away. The band describes the meaning behind the song: “It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, at some point we all face a situation beyond our control. The wind howls at your door as darkness fills the sky and everything you know is being tested. You don’t know if you can survive it. At times, it feels hopeless, but it’s not. There is a path through the chaos and a way out of the confusion. You are stronger and closer than you think you are. The storm will pass. Don’t let it bury you.”
The recurrent line “You’re only one step away” is symbolic of a choice you have – you can either give up and step over the ledge, or keep going and step away from the pain and darkness. Even when things seem hopeless, you’re closer than you realize to getting away from the storm. The chorus sums up the theme.
“You’re only one step away
From breaking down the walls you made
The walls you made and
I know it’s hard to move on
I know it’s hard to let go
But you’re only one step away
From getting out of the eye of the storm”
“Eye Of The Storm” is a high tempo song with killer guitar riffs and pounding drums. There are also electronic elements mixed in. Hard vocals combined with singing add a heavier sound to the track.
“Circles”
To me, this is a song about the “circle of life” – it’s a constant loop from birth to death. Our lives are stories that we write. There are ups and downs and hard times – but you can change things up by “turning the page”. Ultimately, you always come back to your “home” – the place where you were alwayss meant to be.
The chorus reflects the concept of our lives being books with chapters and pages that we turn as we see fit.
“All the chapters, they come and they go
The pain will fade before you know
All the pages we tear out alone
But running in circles brings you home”
The verses of “Circles” feature rapid-fire drums, and there is a heavy breakdown in the middle of the track.
“Worth It”
This song is a ballad of sorts. It incorporates the album title, with “skeletons” being mentioned at the beginning of the song – representing the mental health issues that so many people go through. It’s a song about facing your sadness, fear, doubts, and mistakes head on and pulling yourself up – because you’re worth more than you realize and need to keep going. You’re not doing this for anyone else – you’re doing it for YOURSELF. The chorus provides an encouraging message.
“How does it feel to live every day
Holding on, but so broken?
How do you heal when you can’t explain
Why your heart is so frozen?
But it’s in the dark, you’ll find a spark
To get to the other side
I know that it feels like there’s no escape
But you’re the reason and the purpose
I promise you, you’re worth it!”
The bridge of the song shows empathy with the struggle we all go through every day.
“I can see it on your face
Every tear you can’t erase
When your world falls down
Get off the ground
You’re more than your mistakes
I can see it in your eyes
You’re dying to survive
You’re dying to survive”
Leigh Kakaty’s vocals on this track are wonderful and make it a very emotional song. There is also a stellar guitar riff in the middle of the song.
BONUS: “Dead Reckoning” (with Fit For A King vocalist Ryan Kirby)
The producer of the Skeletons album, Drew Fulk (WZRD BLD), heard the demo and immediately suggested that Ryan would be the perfect fit for a vocal collaboration. The band says “Dead Reckoning” is about “a clear and unwavering decision a person makes within themselves”.
Even when things seem dark, you can find the light by staying strong and true to your convictions. If you do this, you’ll win in the end. This is highlighted in the chorus.
“I’m running through hell
I’m running through sorrow
I see the light in the distance
I will prevail the darkest tomorrow
There’s no turning back for me
Dead reckoning”
“Dead Reckoning” is a high tempo song with lots of electronic elements and rapid-fire drums. The combination of hard and clean vocals and a heavy breakdown at the end with a killer guitar riff definitely give this song a metalcore vibe.
Pop Evil will begin a tour of the UK and Europe May 4th, and is scheduled to play at multiple music festivals this summer in the United States and Canada. The band can be found on Facebook, Instagram, the band’s website, and YouTube.
Skeletons Track Listing
Arrival
Paranoid (Crash & Burn)
Circles
Eye Of The Storm
Sound Of Glory
Skeletons
Worth it
Who Will We Become
Wrong Direction (Pop Evil, Devour The Day)
Dead Reckoning (Pop Evil, Fit For A King)
Raging Bull (Pop Evil, ZILLION)
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