Genre : Chaotic hardcore, Metalcore, Mathcore
Released : July 7th, 2023
Label : SharpTone Records
FFO : Every Time I Die, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Johnny Booth
The Dillinger Escape Plan's retiring in 2017 along with Every Time I Die's more recent, messy breakup early last year left a hole within the hearts of fans of respective bands.
With ex-Every Time I Die members Jordan Buckley, Clayton Holyoak and Stephen Micchie teaming up with ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato as well as guitarist and prolific producer Will Putney (Fit For An Autopsy, END), who had worked on ETID's final two albums, to form Better Lovers ; this is as close as it gets to filling up the space left behind in the aftermath of two of the main actors in the mathcore and chaotic hardcore scenes calling it quits.
As their first output as this new "mathcore supergroup", "God Made Me An Animal" mainly serves the purpose of bridging the gap between both band's musical legacies and the here and now, mostly presenting aspects both bands were cherished for and hybridizing them together.
For now, the new project treads on familiar ground but that is in no way a negative thing in this context, and hearing Greg Puciato go absolutely ballistic on vocals over the signature mathy guitar work on lead single "30 Under 13" should bring a smile to any Dillinger fan.
While the EP's four tracks mainly allow the recognizable stylings of the band members' previous endeavours to work together, there is also space left for different ideas, hinting at the band's will to detach themselves from their past while still using it as a foundation to build upon.
Following the disbanding of Dillinger, Greg Puciato has proved to be a versatile vocalist, willing to experiment in different areas than his previous work through projects like The Black Queen, Killer Be Killed, touring with Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains) and his own experimental solo endeavor.
With that in mind, it's safe to assume that we can expect more from Better Lovers in the future than simply a rehash of things done already or a half-assed attempt to cash out on keeping a legacy alive.
For the time being, "God Made Me An Animal" acts as an enjoyable "welcome back" that bears promising possibilities.