It's an admirable feat when a band can evoke any type of emotion with their music; anger or hate, happiness or sadness; it takes serious talent to conjure emotions from music. This happened to me with this album by THE DEAD LIFE. Now, I want to avoid sounding like a whiny teenage girl at all costs, I am an adult woman. The very first track on this album "Lunatic" struck a chord with me for whatever reason (I can't even put my finger on exactly what it was that provoked this reaction from me). First up, the guitar riff is absolutely infectious; but the vocals kick in and they are phenomenal. The emotion that Sam pours into his vocals and lyrics is infectious. One minute they can make you feel on top of the world (fuck Peter in the purchasing department who ignored you this morning when you got to work). Then the next, they can make you feel bitter and sombre (Peter hates you, that's why he ignored you). Overall they remind me a lot of Jacoby Shaddix's vocal style; they work exceptionally well with everything else going on in the album.

Skip ahead two songs and "Cut Adrift" begins. It's now evident that Sam has an insane vocal talent; it's rare that you find a new Hard Rock band nowadays that isn't ruined by that one guy that thinks he can sing. The guitars make regular changes from distorted to clean which keeps you on the edge of your seat. The next song is one of my favorites on this short and sweet release. "Seven Shades" is heavier than the rest of the album and the vocals are harsher and almost Metalcore-esque. The guitar also gets slightly more technical, showing off the talent and ability extremely well.

"The Hell of It All" is a superb release that the band should be proud of. It starts off strong and ends even stronger. They radiate an aura of a band that has been playing together for decades and not just the three years that they have actually been together. I look forward to their next release already, I just wish this release was longer and had more content; I need my THE DEAD LIFE fix!<