SONG REVIEW: Dead Cassette - "Revive"
Dead Cassette unleash old school riffage with “Revive”
Written by JD Walker
In a day and age where metalcore seems to be evolving past what it even means to be “metalcore”, sometimes it’s nice to hear a new group that stays true to the original roots of the genre. When the style of music first came about, the name of the game was badass riffs, catchy choruses, and a good mix of soaring melody with crushing rhythms. The Ohio-based quintuplet Dead Cassette recently unveiled their latest single “Revive” which stays true to its name in the sense that it revives the classic sound of early metalcore with plenty of modern flair to maintain relevance among today’s scene.
The song opens with a high energy and bouncy riff that does a nice job of setting the mood from the get-go, showing that Dead Cassette is here for business. The chorus shows just how versatile the group can be, kicking into a more open and catchy section complimented by a soaring vocal hook. The song does a nice job of maintaining a drive through the entirety of the three-and-a-half minute track, with no sections that feel out of place or detract from the mood of the tune.
Dead Cassette are no strangers to the metalcore scene - hailing from the frozen tundra of Cleveland, Ohio (the greatest metal scene in the world), the group have stayed busy over the years through a variety of shows and festival dates in the area. “Revive” serves as their second single, a heavy mix of bouncy metalcore riffs with stadium rock-esque choruses. The group is comprised of lead vocalist Justin Karallus, rhythm guitarist Corbin Wandling (who also provides clean vocals on the chorus), Arthur Lawrence on lead guitar, Joe Hoover on bass, and Kollin Manuel on drums.
In a metal scene that’s seen a multitude of paradigm shifts as of late, Dead Cassette is a breath of fresh air and a welcome one at that. Instead of shoehorning whatever popular genre might be the flavor-of-the-day, the group takes an old-school approach to writing songs and makes sure that their tunes stay true to what it means to be a metal band. There are no weird EDM breaks, hip-hop influences, or nu metal rehashes, just good old fashioned metalcore riffs and pure energy through the entirety of the song.
Dead Cassette have the propensity and potential to make serious waves on the metalcore and alternative metal circuits - with huge plans in the coming year (including festival dates and a debut album), the group seems poised for greatness and to play their classic yet modern brand of metalcore to a broad and receptive audience. Like Attack Attack, Beartooth, The Devil Wears Prada, and The Plot In You before them, there’s no reason why Dead Cassette can’t be the next big thing to come out of Ohio.