6.

Many Eyes

The Light Age

I came to metalcore legends Every Time I Die very late. My entry point was their ninth record, Radical, which came a respectable #15 on this List in 2021. Radical has since grown significantly in my estimation, and, looking back, was the record that unlocked for me the true potential of metalcore as a genre (sub-genre? hybrid genre?). In other words, it has a lot to answer for. But, then, within a few months of Radical’s release and while I was just starting to explore their back catalogue, ETID imploded in acrimonious and very public fashion: legal actions and serious accusations flew in all directions.

2024 saw the release of the debut albums of not one but two bands that emerged from the ETID wreckage. In the red corner, Many Eyes is vocalist Keith Buckley’s post-break up band, and it’s impossible not to listen to The Light Age without viewing it as an outpouring of his anger and pain about the manner of ETID’s demise. Lyrically, The Light Age mixes messages of rebirth and self-sufficiency with thinly disguised potshots at Buckley’s former band mates (one of whom, to add extra spice, is his brother Jordan). Musically, The Light Age is still in the ETID mould, although with fewer weird timings and more melodic sections. Buckley here croons nearly as often as he screams. It’s a focused record, less about adventure than about clarity. Quality wise, the first three tracks of The Light Age are all astounding, and as good as (better than?) ETID at their very best. Unfortunately, that initial level of quality isn’t quite sustained: had it been, this record would likely have topped this List and been a genre all timer. As it is, The Light Age is still an excellent melodic metalcore record, memorably jet propelled by one of the ugliest band break ups in history.