New Year’s Day continue to break new ground whether it’s on original tunes or transforming someone else’s classic into their own. On Diary Of A Creep, NYD take some beloved anthems from Garbage, Pantera, and more and infuse them with fresh takes and new technology to create a covers record that won’t make you groan.
But before we get to the non-groan worthy covers let’s talk about the gem of a new song that is “Disgust Me” which is a pounding, driving beast of visceral brutality interspersed with moments of clarity and Ash Costello’s unmistakable voice (Sounding better than ever thanks to her work outside NYD with The Haxans perhaps?). Nikki Misery’s and Jeremy Valentyne’s guitar work here is a pummeling riff machine adding to the overall excitement of the new track so if this is the direction of the next album (Tentatively slated for Fall of 2018) then sign me up!
Starting the covers portion with New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle”, NYD manage to take the classic track off of the dance floor and throw it smack dab into stadiums by creating this new anthem that still embodies the spirit of the original while giving it a modern, and sometimes shreddy, flair.
Then they take on Pantera.
Let’s be clear: Pantera was my first concert EVER! The following song was played at said concert. Pantera obviously holds a cherished space in my heart. That said, New Year’s Day covering “Fucking Hostile” is kinda great. Almost unrecognizable to the point of being a heavy metal sing-a-long instead of a call to arms with Costello screeching, holding nothing back and a powerful drum performance that’d make Vinnie Paul proud.
With the recent passing of Chester Bennington, “Crawling” tends to be a somber ode which is fitting when the track is morphed into an Industrial juggernaut with a little bit of a kidneythieves feel to it. Getiing some help from Lizzy Hale of Halestorm after that on “Only Happens When It Rains”, Costello and Hale trade verses on the triumphant Garbage track reinterpreted in the style of Antichrist Superstar. Closing with a haunting take on “Don’t Speak”, Costello and co. prove once again that covers albums/EP’s CAN be free from groans and still have plenty of room for originality.
*And for all you completists out there, make sure to track down the recently released “Gangsta” (Originally by Kehlani for Suicide Squad) off of Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 7 for the total NYD covers package!
Diary Of A Creep will be released on January 26th through Century Media. For pre-order info and more, including where you can catch New Year’s Day live with In This Moment and P.O.D., head here.