EP REVIEW: Vampires Everywhere! - “Belladonna”
Vampires Everywhere! is better than ever with the release of their new EP “Belladonna”
Since 2010 with the release of scene classic “Kiss The Sun Goodbye”, Vampires Everywhere! has been a household name and synonymous with Goth-Rock, Warped Tour, and Metalcore. In 2016, the band went on hiatus while vocalist Michael Vampire started the band Dead Girls Academy produced by Ronnie Radke. However, in 2021 Michael resurrected VE! with the EP titled “The Awakening” via Cleopatra Records. Bringing the band back while the music scene was still shifting from the aftermath of the Covid Pandemic. Vampires Everywhere! is back and on a steady rise! The band is gaining attention and garming a larger fanbase with a whole new generation of music fans. Now, Vampires Everywhere! is back in full force and better than ever with their newest EP “Belladonna”.
Artwork for “Belladonna” EP
2023 has been a monumental year for Vampires Everywhere! being active on the road and releasing groundbreaking new songs all this year. Earlier in 2023, the band released their rendition of “Cry Little Sister” which is the theme song for 1980’s cult classic movie “The Lost Boys.” If you are a fan of the band, you know that the band’s name comes directly from the movie! “Vampires Everywhere!” being the name of one of the comics in the movie. Vocalist Michael Vampire has gone on to say that seeing The Lost Boys was a direct influence on him and was his main influence for starting Vampires Everywhere!. This cover was long awaited for the band and the fans did not disappoint! Since its release “Cry Little Sister” is now impacting Active Rock Radio around the country including rotation in Siriusxm’s Octane. The band is currently sitting in the Top 50 on the Billboard Active Rock Charts. The song was also featured in the series “The Burning Girls” which was produced by Paramount+ UK (US fans can find the series on The Roku Channel).
Following “Cry Little Sister” release; the band released what is said to be their heaviest track to date titled “A Fire In The Atlantic”. Having a more “in your face” approach, A Fire In The Atlantic showed a different side of the band. We were all aware that the band could be heavy, but this was a more modern take on what being heavy means with punchy chugs and crushing breakdowns. A few months after that, the final single for this EP cycle was released titled “Ghost”. This track in particular showed the band’s diversity, bringing it back to the band's beginnings. Vocalist Michael Vampire said that he wanted to get back to his “emo roots” with this song, and we couldn’t agree more. This song has a massive chorus that is catchy but emotionally driven. This leads us to now! The EP includes these three singles plus two new songs titled “Together In Death” and “The Dead Don’t Sleep” one being more of a modern ballad and the other being a high energy modern rock song.
This EP is a massive step for Vampires Everywhere! moving into the 2020’s Active Rock & Metal world. While still keeping their identity, the band has modernized their sound and is now back to being a force within our scene. This is one of those rare instances where there are no skips and the EP front to back is diverse enough to have a different vibe song to song but the identity of Vampires Everywhere! still connecting them all. While we can’t say that Vampires Everywhere! is an up and coming band, what we can say is that VE is returning to the glory they deserve, and “Belladonna” is proof.
Also +10 points for the death metal font.