The Word Alive – Hard Reset

Review

The Word Alive tears open a new chapter with "Hard Reset," leaving their fingerprints smeared across shifting genres. Now under Thriller Records, their seventh album launches with the jarring "The Word Alive Is Dead...", laying down hooks that feel both vulnerable and merciless. Along the way, tracks like "Hard Reset," "Strange Love," and "One Of Us" (featuring Bad Omens) keep the veins exposed and pulsing, never surrendering their grit even as they hunt for new horizons.

Despite the restless energy simmering underneath, there's a sense the band hesitates at the cliff’s edge—testing the wind instead of plunging headfirst. They embrace change, but not recklessly, holding onto enough of their roots to cast a familiar shadow. It makes for a solid, satisfying ride that doesn’t completely burn down the old to rebuild the new. "Hard Reset" stands as a tightrope act between tradition and transformation—enough to keep diehards circling, hungry for whatever storm comes next. - Taylor