This is my first-time diving into single reviews so just bear with me– It is also my first time reviewing a metalcore band from New England, Saving Vice, who got their start in 2017. I am not normally into metalcore, but this is a band that has managed to combine melodic intensity with some really smart vocal and instrumental dynamics as well as a ghostly ambiance throughout the structural creations of their work. Lyrics from songs such as “Echoes from the Gutter” which was part of their debut 2020 LP, Hello There, spoke to me in a way where I knew I had to dive deeper into their catalog, but never did have the time. Well, that time for me is up– so let’s get to it.
The first notes are with more of a gothic ballad-type melodic guitar next to clean vocals coming in the form of whispers with the words, “I’ll find my mind.” This signifies that if you were on the edge of spiritual death, yet physically alive, you would never regret life again. This is a song that appears to be an anthem of inspiration. I suspect there are some pull-off and hammer-on combinations at the start along with some alternative picking.
The lyrics, “My reunion, I bet you’re dying to watch – Fragments of my life I have all but forgot, I’ll find my mind,” hit me especially hard to the point of tears. To me, this speaks about what people do when they survive with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Unfortunately, I have recently been inflicted with such a diagnosis because of experiences with people who counted on me to spiritually die, yet I have found my mind, my purpose, and my reason to live. Guitarist, Robbie Litchfield, did a stellar job of creating the backbone for the complete mood of this piece. I actually took guitar lessons for about three years and will continue on after my work in college is done for me, so right now I am training myself on trying to hear these techniques before seeing them!
Vocalists Tyler Small and Chase Papariello are a powerhouse pairing, and although I’m not sure if it was one or both of them on each part for this one, the combinations of cleans and screams for the single has set this track on fire, the lyrics being literally an anthem that encourages you to keep strong even when you are at your darkest hour.
I was always someone’s last choice as far as friendship was concerned and even when I took it seriously, I was still betrayed. So in response, I spent my school years all alone with no one there. That’s why I saw being alone as being weak when it came to not being able to get used to walking alone in solitude as well as being depressed because I was never able to stop comparing my life with others in the sense of “They have everything, and I have nothing;” This realization was one of the hardest that I’ve ever gone through.
Midway in the melody, the band added what I believe is Tremolo picking on the guitar, a technique used in black metal to promote ferocious darkness equivalent to a blizzard in winter that has buried your house and your town. Additionally, the bass done by Kenjamin Smiertelny was giving off the vibe that your heart is racing because you don’t exactly know what solution to take on for trying to live.
There are also some haunting vocals over this melody, giving it an almost panicking type of element. A sense of urgency, like what you have when tragedy is about to strike. This is the part that will make your heart drop down to your knees because you feel the anticipation and it slithers toward you just like a rattlesnake would before it strikes when one stands to close their area. The drums performed by Sam Whelton on this whole song are epic beyond compare. The song closes in full circle with a minor scale ballad guitar sound that is bound to send chills down people’s spines. This single to me speaks about battling your demons by proving those against you wrong, and the guys are letting fans know that in order to live, they have to find strength in solitude instead of weakness. This anthem’s message will transcend every sub-genre that exists throughout the entire metal bracket, period.
It’s better to walk alone than to walk with those who will betray you. For me these days, I’d rather have a few pennies than several dollar bills, because I truly believe in the essence of quality over quantity when it comes to my friendships and relationships at this point in my life. Robbie Litchfield made sure that everything was clearly heard production-wise and his mastering on this track at Hell Here Studios is of phenomenal quality.
“Dying to Watch” as a whole has blown me away with the melodic technicality and landscape that the band has created. This song is the essence of what every metal fan wants to hear, combining a haunting backdrop with a panicked overtone. Because I have been through this myself on a multitude of occasions, I will personally tell you that if you have gone through any kind of trauma or feared about certain conversations coming to blows only to be proven right and then have tried to block them out, then this is a song that could save your life. As of today, the single is available now on all streaming platforms, so I would greatly encourage our readers to get their hands on this song in any way that they possibly can no matter what the cost. If you like what you hear and wish to catch an early release of future tracks amongst many other perks, consider joining their SVIP club.
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