No Cure I Hope I Die Here

Birmingham, Alabama’s No Cure make music that feels carefully planned and yet still comes straight from the heart. Their blend of death metal riffage and a staunch ethos in the hardcore tradition have captured the attention of many since they exploded onto the scene only a few years ago. On their new record, I Hope I Die Here, they aren’t content being just a straight edge band; they’ve got something to prove.

The first thing I noticed on I Hope I Die Here is their emphasis on crafting a more metallic sound. Not to say No Cure haven’t spent ample time in the world of death metal, with tremolo riffs, pinch harmonics, and blast beats, but this time it all feels different. The atmosphere here reminds me of old school thrash in a way. There’s more melodic riffs, though they still bring the heavy of course. There’s even a rainstorm sample coupled with a foreboding church bell to kick the whole EP off on opening track “Hang Me From the Bible Belt.” It quickly picks up the pace into a galloping stomp riff, then some blasts, and you get the idea. It’s got a feature from fellow Alabamian Daniel McWhorter of Gideon, who sounds great over a more metal-leaning instrumental compared to his main project. 

Every song on this EP has a feature. It fits with the central theme of supporting their community in the south and feeling at odds with how they’ve been treated by the rest of the US. There are bigger artists like Daniel from Gideon, friends of the band like Nick Chance (ex-Distinguisher, current Beautiful Child of God) and Jesse Clark (Wielded Steel) on lead single “Don’t Need Your Help,” and a little old school with Matthew Hasting of MychildrenMyBride on “Your Children Will Drown In the Burning River.” The featured artists don’t take up too much time, and honestly blend pretty well with lead vocalist Blaythe Steuer. He’s always been a highlight on past No Cure releases, but this time it feels like things have been turned up to eleven. His passionate delivery makes the lyrics hit even deeper.

One of the standout tracks for me is “The Basement Beneath The Fountain.” It picks up the pace using effective blastbeats, as well as some great melodic metal leads. Finally, there is an earth-shattering breakdown that makes heavy use of pinch harmonics. At just under two minutes, it accomplishes everything it sets out to do and then some. Drummer Duncan Newey excels at switching up before parts get stale. Kayhan Vaziri of Wretched Blessing and Yautja makes an appearance, which only heightens the murky ambiance. The lyrics are dark, containing references to a fictitious conspiracy theory that the band use to comment on loved ones falling down an unfortunate right-wing pipeline. Although No Cure have a lot of love for their hometown, they’re not above critiquing its issues. They make it clear on tracks like “Don't Need Your Help” that this is their cross to bear. 

The parts of this record that embrace new sounds are where it shines. Besides those, a lot of aspects blend together and feel bland. I also feel like they could experiment more with switching up the tempo. There’s a fair amount of fast blastbeats or double pedal sections but most of I Hope I Die Here is otherwise occupied by typical hardcore style bits. I love some good old-fashioned, meat and potatoes hardcore, but No Cure tease so much more than that on the record. Some of the songs, like “Kill A Frat Guy,” definitely fit on a No Cure release, but left me wanting more. I bet it’ll be fun live though.

Bottom Line: No Cure are going places, whether you want them to or not. They show a willingness to progress their sound while still staying true to their roots. There are some real standout tracks here, and then a few towards the second half that lean towards forgettable. Come for the live show appeal, stay for the unexpected depth at times, but perhaps leave wishing it was a bit more balanced.