Escape The Box’s D.E.A.D. (Dead Ends & DayDreams) deals with the difficult balance between heaviness and vulnerability, establishing an alternative metal project that is determined not to stick to a single musical style. The EP combines influences from metalcore, electronic music, dark pop and post-hardcore, featuring distorted guitars, electronic textures and atmosphere alongside melody in its tracks. Instead of treating these various elements as separate things, the EP puts them side by side, so that moments of aggression can occur next to more open and melodic sections.
It is especially clear when looking at songs like “Grave” and “Almost”, which show the more intense and direct aspect of the project. The fact that these tracks are included in the EP shows that the record is prepared to embrace intensity without requiring all the songs to take the same path. This ability to change gives D.E.A.D. a sense of progression, since the album can shift from aggressive production to sections that seem more restrained and vulnerable without losing its alternative metal roots.
The songs ‘Cement’ and ‘Silence’ show another aspect of the EP, placing a stronger focus on melody and vulnerability. They contribute to the wider emotional scope of the album, echoing the themes of loss, isolation, pressure, relationships and survival which are present in its songwriting. The title of the record, Dead Ends & DayDreams, matches this emotional atmosphere, as it shows the conflict between feeling trapped by reality and discovering a different place within the mind.
In the various aspects of the project, “Great” is particularly noteworthy since it is recommended as a good starting point and is also the artist’s personal favourite from the release. However, its importance also illustrates the general nature of D.E.A.D.: a project that is at ease in combining heaviness with melody, aggression with vulnerability, and electronic textures with distorted guitars. Escape The Box thus produces an album characterised by contrast, building a distinct alternative metal world through the use of these opposing elements.
