Reviewed! Modern Day Escape - New Life

Modern Day Escape

New Life

Standby Records

It’s evident why Modern Day Escape tagged their latest full length with the title New Life; because new life is exactly what this album breathes into this band. Driven by big vocals, big guitars and even bigger hooks, New Life is perhaps as straight ahead as MDE has ever been, and probably as focused as they’ve ever sounded. There is no shortage of balls-to-the-wall, cocksure and kick-ass rock tunes (“Control,” “This Ain’t Love,” “DRUGS”) here, though there’s the occasional bout of less than memorable nu-rock rearing its ugly head (“Mi Demonia Amor,” “Suicidal”). Elsewhere on New Life, “Scared As Hell” is perhaps the most intriguing cut MDE has ever put to wax, “20 Years” sounds like a bad, forever lost (for a reason) Whitesnake b-side, and the central riff on “Get Me Higher” sounds like a carbon copy of Three Days Grace’s “Animal I Have Become.” New Life isn’t perfect, but it more than accomplishes its goal of establishing MDE as a credible rock outfit. And while it has its flaws, do we really want our badass rock to come any other way?         

Grade: B

Go Download: “This Ain’t Love”