SINGLE REVIEW: The Word Alive – “Play The Victim”

March 18th, 2014

Kriston McConnell

Artist: The Word Alive
Single: “Play The Victim”
Album: Real
Label: Fearless Records

The Word Alive released Life Cycles nearly two years ago. That album helped the band secure their spot in the metalcore scene and proved they deserve all of the hype surrounding them. After they confirmed they were working on their third studio album fans went a little ballistic, and understandably so. They recently started to perform a new song live, titled “Play The Victim,” and while it was only a small taste of something new it was a welcomed change.

After months of teasing, the band finally dropped the digital version of “Play The Victim,” and after listening to it a few dozen times so far it’s safe to say the wait was worth it. The song opens with some killer guitar play, something that the band has made a staple in their sound, then it transitions into Telle singing. They quickly move into the main chorus and unleash the unclean vocals.

Telle is a vocalist who knows how to put a ton of passion behind all of his singing, and he means every one of his lyrics. The unclean vocals have changed over the years and have a much better range than in the EP and Deceiver. They also seem like they are a little bit more raw on this song, but that may have to do with production style.

The band has stuck with a specific style over the years, but that hasn’t stopped their music from maturing with each release. “Play The Victim” is certainly no exception, and it’s a clear example of all the hard work the members have put into this band. If the rest of the album is anything like this single, then I am sure we can expect something great this June.

The band should be proud of how far they’ve come so far, and fans should be excited to hear what else the band has has in store for them in the coming months. This album is one of my most anticipated of the year, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of it!

There isn’t a stream available for the song at this time, but you are welcome to purchase it on iTunes.

Written by: Kriston McConnell Tweet Tweet
Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer