Everyone Dies In Utah

Life is a balance between extremes. The positive feels utterly uplifting, while the negative can be downright draining. Existence leaves us perpetually in the middle at the whims of those opposite poles. Nevertheless, the perpetual cosmic push-and-pull keeps things interesting. Everyone Dies In Utah examine those dramatic shifts in mood, stasis, and life on their second full-length album, +//- (Polarities), available via Tragic Hero Records/ILG. Teetering between breakneck brutality and elegant, entrancing melody, the Temple, TX sextet tells an engaging tale of internal struggle. The band—Danny Martinez [Vocals, Keys, Synth], Dustin Dow [Guitar], Cody Haigis [Guitar], Justin Yost [Bass, Vocals], Trey Golden [Keys, Synth], and Justin Morgan [drums]—paints this picture with bludgeoning grooves, piercing screams, and otherworldly harmonies. There's an intricate concept penned by the band that fuels +//-. Over the course of the album's narrative, a young girl named Synthia is killed by a mysterious killer, The Shadow Walker, and her father decides he's going to exact revenge for this act. With its grandiose concept and message, this is by no means your average entry into the heavy music zeitgeist… Yost explains, "The record follows the father as he begins to hear his dead daughter's voice pleading to forgive this terrible act. +//- illustrates the inner war that threatens to tear us apart. Light and dark battle over our hearts, and we have to make a choice. Apart from the concept, we hope the album will encourage people to choose good." Sonically, the group came into their own while concocting this story and writing the music. Martinez adds, "On past releases, I felt like we were still trying to find our style. With this one, I feel like we finally found a sound that belongs to us. It's not something that everyone else is chasing. It's us." In order to bring their singular vision to life, Everyone Dies In Utah enlisted the talents of producer David Ludlow [Greeley Estates, Man Made Machine] behind the board. Ludlow pushed them to expand their songwriting and exceed any boundaries or limitations. Their genre-smashing ethos is instantly apparent on the offering's first single, "You Are Now Manually Breathing". After an abrasive buildup, a gritty riff gallops right into a hook that's just as big as the record's story. About the song, Yost reveals, "It demonstrates the growth of the band. It's fast-paced and heavy, but it's also catchy." Elsewhere on the album, "Simply Me 2" coasts on haunting ambiance before rising into a heartbreaking yet hypnotic confessional. The track is the perfect sequel to "Simply Me" from the band's 2011 debut, Seeing Clearly. "On the last album, 'Simply Me' was a really important song to me," affirms Yost. "I put all of the cards on the table and went as personal as possible for 'Simply Me 2'. I can't wait for fans to hear it and hopefully be touched by this series again." So far, Everyone Dies In Utah has continually connected on a deep level with its fervent fan base. Since they hit the scene in 2008, they've attracted a rabid audience over the course of their self-released EP, I Hope You Realize This Means War in 2009 and then Seeing Clearly. They've also toured tirelessly and won't be getting off the road any time soon. Ultimately, +//- thrives in between both ends of the spectrum. It touches both but never settles on one, and that's why it'll resonate so clearly. "We have songs your girlfriend will cry to, we have songs your best bros can throw down to, and we have songs everyone can enjoy," concludes Yost. Martinez elaborates, "Our main goal is to put out a positive message and help anyone through hard situations with our music." What better way to deal with those Polarities than music?