Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Inspection Review

What They Died For

What They Died For
Can't Stop Now

Street Date: December 10, 2018
Style: Rock / Metal / Rap Rock
Official Website: WhatTheyDiedFor.com
Buy It: iTunes



Though it's existed for the better part of a decade, the New York rock band What They Died For is still a bit of a fledgling outfit. In the half decade since their last release (which was also their first release), the band has seen members come and go, but they finally settled on a line-up to write and record their first full-length record, Can't Stop Now. Musically, What They Died For takes the listener back to the days when rapcore was king (or was at least trying to usurp the throne). The band's blend of rap, rock, and hardcore easily brings to mind the old Bettie Rocket Records group CR-33. If that name doesn't ring a bell, you'd probably be more likely to hear shades of Rage Against the Machine or Limp Bizkit when listening. "Comeback Kid" is a terrific example, particularly of the latter comparison, with heavy riffs and in-your-face vocals that sound quite a bit like Fred Durst. Where they mix it up, though, is with some harsh screaming peppered in here and there. The Rage sound also makes its way into the lyrics, as the band focuses a lot on the issues within our culture, except that it's tackled with a Christian worldview here. An especially jarring track is an interlude called "Sounds of America," which features a large number of soundbites of people talking about how they don't need God in their lives. This is contrasted with bites of newscasters reporting tragic news and different people screaming "Oh my God!" in intense and frightening situations (be advised that there is one bleeped f-word spoken by a non-Christian person, as well as a use of "hell" out of context). This track is appropriately followed by "American Dream (Break Free)," a song that is meant to remind the listener of when America was more in line with a Scripture-based sense of morality and how much safer and all-around better it was to live here then. Musically, it's one of the album's heaviest offerings (just a little less heavy than the delightfully loud "Sticks and Stones"), with a sobering set of lyrics to match it: "Perverse generation, we've lost our way, and all these walls are caving in before my very eyes, I can see this kingdom fall that was built on the Scriptures, yet nobody believes me man, nobody believes me, just living in apathy, kick God out our schools, off our money, out our lives, but please invite Him to my funeral." What They Died For is a wonderfully talented band, with a collection of songs in a dated genre that still sound pretty good even in 2018. A cursory listen might cause you to write them off entirely, but you'd be missing out on quite a bit of solid music. Ultimately, I'd love to hear the band focus less on rapcore, as I found myself enjoying the hardcore elements a lot more, but regardless, they've piqued my interest enough to keep my eyes peeled for any new music they might release in the future.

- Review date: 12/21/18, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

 

 

 

go to main Indie review page
go to Indie Review Index

 

                 
Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

Search JFH



This Friday, March 28, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor Hymns The Garden (Live) [Integrity]
Steve Camp Fire and Ice (Remastered Collector's Edition) [Girder]
Lawrence Hancock Undefeated [LVP]
Red Rocks Worship The King Is Coming [Provident]
Edwrin Sutton The Savior 1.0 (Volume 1) [Blacksmoke]

SINGLES
Big Daddy Weave I've Just Seen Too Much - Single [Curb]
Bongo Chico 1995 - Single (independent)
Disciple Resurrecting Reasons (feat. Decyfer Down) - Single [Tooth & Nail]
Good Weather Forecast Now I See It - Single [DREAM]
Lucy Grimble First Love - Single [Integrity]
Jericko MANNA - Single [Syntax]
Kashh Kade RUNNING MAN - Single [Syntax]
Knaladeus Treasure (ft. C4 Crotona & Aciya Iona) - Single [Syntax]
Ronnie Martin Ever Sing For Joy - Single [Velvet Blue]
Miel San Marcos Digno De Adorar (Worthy Of It All) [feat. Waleska Morales] - Single [Integrity]
New Day Rhymes In Harmony - Single (independent)
Sam Purpose Turnaround - Single (independent)
Q-Flo & C4 Crotona The Plug Gotta Know God - Single [Syntax]
Switch Love Like This - Single (independent)
Madison Watkins You Won't - Single [Provident]
Wolves at the Gate Synthetic Sun - Single [Solid State]
The Young Escape Every Little Thing - Single [BEC]

Next Tuesday, April 1, 2025
SINGLES
Sleeping At Last Build - Single (independent)

Next Friday, April 4, 2025
ALBUMS
Faith Worship Arts Fill This House [DREAM Worship]
TAYA The Reminder [Capitol CMG]

SINGLES
Free Worship Haz Tu Voluntad - Single [BEC]
Hunter Plake & River Valley AGES Presence is Peace - Single [BEC]
River Valley Worship Great and Lowly King - Single [BEC]
Jordan St. Cyr My Foundation (Acoustic) - Single [BEC]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Check out the newest JFH Metal compilation - FREE!
Get JFH's 13th free indie compilation now!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images