It is time to dust off those Adidas shoes hiding in your closet, spike that hair, and put in that eyebrow piercing again, cause didn’t you hear? The 2000s alternative is back, baby! And you must bring icons of the genre back for such an uprising. Following that rule, Dry Kill Logic is back with their first single since 2020, “Now You Belong With the Dead,” and, as a major geek of the early 2000s sound, I had a field day with this song.
With this single, Dry Kill Logic brings to the table a perfect amount of nostalgia through their signature explosive riffs that older fans of the band and genre can recognize while still infusing a generous dosage of new sounds that newcomers, who may not have been around during the band’s heyday can fall for. I can respect a band that wants to carry bits and pieces of what they are known for while still showing they have grown and aren’t just relying on their nostalgia factor. And I feel like this single walks that territory very thoughtfully. A heavy amount of praise for that success can be directed towards producer Greg Thomas (End, Shai Hulud, Misery Signals). I believe he did an amazing job with making sure this single strays away from sounding like just another band trying to make a profit off their history.
Speaking of what I respect in a band, how they handle storytelling and lyricism is what always takes the cake for me. And this single is one of the best examples of those aspects in the 31 years since Dry Kill Logic’s inception. When I listen to a song for the first time, I always let myself disassociate and try to make a mental storyboard of sorts. Like choosing a soundtrack for a movie. When listening to this song, I built a story of a toxic relationship and the feeling you get when you finally “wake up” and realize what is happening to you. The anger and brutality one can feel when living through that situation. The lyrics were a big factor in building the movie in my head. “It won't be long / Before I choke out the light / And leave you kicking and screaming / Begging and pleading for life / It won't be long / Before I take back what's mine / And leave you hopeless and helpless“ are lyrics that stand out due to the brutality pushed even further with the booming voice belonging to singer Cliff Ragano. When describing this new single and this new page for Dry Kill Logic, he states,
We wrote this song years ago, but it really came to life with Greg in the studio. It’s our most dynamic songwriting to date, and we’re stoked for everyone to hear it!
For the first time in 20 years, fans new and old get to witness Dry Kill Logic’s return to the stage to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their seminal sophomore album, The Dead & The Dreaming. Grab tickets for their headlining shows in Brooklyn, NY, and Clifton, NJ! Look out for the music video to drop for this single and be sure to follow Dry Kill Logic’s socials so you don’t miss out on what is sure to come out of this band in 2025!
5/18 — Welcome to Rockville — Daytona, FL
6/13 — Monarch — Brooklyn, NY
6/14 — Dingbatz — Clifton, NJ
7/17 — RockFest — Cadott, WI
7/19 — Inkcarceration — Mansfield, OH
10/2 — Aftershock — Sacramento, CA
