Changing the name of a band is always a bit of a leap of faith. Depending on fan base and name recognition, there is a very distinct possibility of losing everything the band has built, and yet, Ego Death decided to step away from their moniker and forge ahead as the moodier Double Grave. The name change and subsequent album came with a cleansing of their back catalog, and after some time away from their old material, the band decided to release what they describe as an "awkward gap in their identity" with a new compilation EP, Ego Death Forever.
As someone who only recently learned about the band, Ego Death Forever serves as a look into their roots as sunnier, pop grunge trio. Their 2017 album New Year's Daydream is a slower, more dissonant step forward that shows off Jeremy Warden's progression as a songwriter. The pop hooks are still there, but Double Grave moved from its former sunny disposition to a sonic landscape that better represents a classic Minnesota winter, and 2018's Empty Hands has the band move into a sludgier territory.
So how well does Ego Death Forever bridge the gap between the two band identities? The opening track "Deceiver," with its haunting soundscape, would feel right at home on Empty Hands, and the power-pop influence from "In The Morning," "Orange Soda," and "The Kiss" can easily be heard all over both New Years Daydream and Empty Hands. Even at Double Grave's noisiest, Warden leaves enough room for a hook to push through and add a little bounce.
We're still leaving out two of the EP's most eager tracks, "Days" and "Sunlight." Listening to Double Grave's available discography, you will quickly notice that they rarely write the same piece twice. The band is willing to experiment and explore as they progress, and these tunes reflect that wholeheartedly. Both songs are forays into their shoegaze leanings, with the first featuring a gorgeous brass solo over a blender of fuzz guitar, and the latter being an eight-minute three-part epic that degrades into a "noise holocaust" reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine before pulling itself together for a triumphant climax. Its something that the band has not really done since their Ego Death days, but I hope they attempt to do another multimovement epic in the spirit of "Sunlight."
Reissues of relatively new material are always a dice roll since the motives are not always clear. However, what could've been an indulgent nostalgia trip turned out to be a fantastic look into the first three years of Double Grave.
Ego Death Forever is out now via Forged Artifacts. Do yourself a favor and grab yourself a copy by clicking the link below.
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