We recently had the opportunity to review Slaves newest album Beautiful Death, officially being released tomorrow, February 16th via SBG Records. Beautiful Death, produced by Erik Ron (Panic! At the Disco, Set it Off, Hands Like Houses), is set to be the band’s most powerful release to date. Vocalist Jonny Craig comments, “With this album, I feel like I have the chance to be the person I was supposed to be the entire time.” Wow is he right, every song on this album is unique sounding instrumentally with the common themes of persistence (seen in songs such as “Patience is the Virtue” and “The Pact”) and heart-break (seen in songs such as “True Colors” and “Deadly Conversations”) reappearing throughout.
Starting off the album is the song “I’d Rather See Your Star Explode” which was the second song the band released on January 16th. This song speaks of waiting for your moment to shine, and proving everyone wrong in the process; this is seen in the lyrics “I know you’ll write me off, I know you’re always gonna cut me out, you think I’m always gonna let you down. Just wait.”
“Patience is the Virtue” is next, originally released on January 2nd. One of the stand-out tracks on the album speaking of the band’s constant pushing-through of all negative things being thrown in their way. It describes the feeling of not being held back and focusing on the future, the “what’s next.”
A fan-favorite and the first song fans heard off of the album, “True Colors” is one of several songs speaking of heart-break and also regret. In the lyrics, “Did you ever take a moment just to think, about anyone other than yourself? Give me back the love I wasted now” you can hear the pain and almost an anger in Craig’s vocals.
“Let This Haunt You” seems to talk about emotional abuse in terms of talking down on someone to make themselves feel better. Then once you realize how badly their actions are affecting you, not being able to think of them the same as you did before, and wanting an explanation as to why they do what they do.
“Petty Trappin” is exactly how the title sounds — a petty song about haters who say they want nothing to do with you but keep up with your every move. A call-out to everyone who has ever talked badly about him, Craig sings about not being phased about others opinions of him while he keeps doing him. A solid line in this is “Don’t go saying shit you can’t take back.”
“I Know A Lot Of Artists” is also a recent fan-favorite. Released on January 25th, the message of the song is knowing what to expect from people due to past experiences, but continuing to go down the path you’re used to until you finally decide you deserve better.
“Deadly Conversations” is my personal favorite off of the album. Instantly when hearing the track I was filled with nostalgia of my own previous relationships and how those have affected me. The feeling of hating to see your ex with someone new, and wishing they were still with you is an emotion I believe everyone can relate to.
“Back To The Roots” changes up the theme of previous songs by bringing individuality into the game. No matter how much time passes, you’re still holding onto fragments of the past while trying to keep on your grind. The feeling of being so close to closure, realizing it will never be what it once was and taking steps to move on.
“Warning From My Demons” talks about how you feel unlovable and difficult to be with. Looking back on my past, I relate heavily to the lyrics, “I’ve come to terms and I know I’m hard to love. I’m working on it everyday.” as I’ve struggled with self-confidence and feelings of not being worthy of a relationship.
“The Pact” is the last song on the album, holding a lot of feelings that I believe Jonny Craig has never truly opened up about before. Giving the song this raw, pure emotion that fans haven’t seen before from this band. Talking about Craig’s struggle with drug addiction and the abandonment of his parents, and the path of recovery he’s been trying to follow. You see this in the lyrics “You keep your hopes up that I can change, well I’ll stay honest you do the same. I’ll keep my purpose, you keep your faith that we can get through this, these tougher days.” I believe this is the perfect ending to the album, giving it that edge that none of their previous albums have ever done before.
Overall, I think the album as a whole is one of the best I think the band has ever put together. Every song can have an impact on any listener, and it’s an album you can jam to regardless of your mood if you just want to head-bang to some rock riffs. Slaves is about to embark on their USA headliner tour in support of the album, which you can purchase tickets to here. You can also purchase the album if you haven’t done so already by clicking here.
