Miss May I –Deathless

Ohio metalcore middleweights Miss May I have been on the block for a good eight years. In that time they have proved to be a very exciting prospect in the metal community but have yet to really breakthrough with an album that can turn even the most open-minded head. Thus brings us to 2015 and the quintet, led by enigmatic frontman and all-round nice guy Levi Benton, and completed by lead guitarist B.J. Stead, rhythm guitarist Justin Aufdemkampe, bassist Ryan Neff, and drummer Jerod Boyd are back with a mission statement in the form of a brand new record simply entitled – Deathless.

After the rather mixed response to last year’s underwhelming Rise Of The Lion, Miss May I needed to show the doubters what they are capable of unleashing on your ears. This is exactly what they have achieved with the absolutely electric opener of “I.H.E.” What begins with a rather atmospheric slow burn quickly bursts into nothing short of a barrage on the senses as Benton delivers one of the best opening metal screams in recent memory on a background of masterful modern day metal. It’s clear to feel a real presence of passion and hunger in the band. This is the sound of a group of young lads seriously pissed at the world as the chant of “I hate everything” echoes through the farthest reaches of your mind.

For anyone familiar with Miss May I, you may have a divided opinion on the bands earlier work. However, producer Joey Sturgis returns here and with Deathless we are hearing a much more mature MMI. The riffs are fatter, faster and feral, and Benton has worked incredibly hard to become a prolific and talented vocalist. Even since third record At Heart three years ago a big improvement can be heard. Tracks like “Trust My Heart (Never Hope To Die)” and the brilliant “The Artificial” stick to the blueprint of blistering metal and showcase the best of excellent clean vocals throughout the album executed by Ryan Neff.

 Miss May I – I.H.E (Official Music Video)

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For what it’s worth, there isn’t much let up on Deathless. Not many times are we given a chance to come up for air. This is an angry record, and continues to pound away at full volume demonstrated perfectly in the pit erupting title track as well as the deafening “Arise”, both offering particular album highlights. While obviously this is exactly the kind of thing you can desire and expect of a metal release in 2015, we are simultaneously given a reason to take a step back here for the same reason we have seen plenty of times in the genre, where you do feel some quite significant nostalgia in the album from about twenty minutes beforehand. Unfortunately, metalcore has had the problem of sounding too similar at times and this is perhaps why it has lost it’s height of popularity from a decade ago where Killswitch Engage reigned supreme. Despite this, Deathless seems void of this issue as it is much more of a comeback album, a mission statement and return to form for a band hoping to push on and seriously challenge the current kings of the genre like Architects (or their fellow Ohio brethren in The Devil Wears Prada) and Deathless does this job perfectly.

Miss May I still are an exciting prospect. With this new release they are determined to stand up and be counted for as a necessary and significant part of the future of metal. Not only are they a step closer to achieving this goal but they have given us a taste of their potential with some of their best work to date, and if “I.H.E” isn’t a contender for metal performance of the year I’m not sure what is. For the boys in Miss May I, it’s time to rise.

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 By Tom Vaughan