trends
THE ROCKHOUND
By Kendall Polidori
M
etalcore is more than just music for the Virginia-based band Dying Oath. For them, the genre is about delivering a message through the energy and passion of body language and facial expressions. The power of emotion drives their live performances. “You can feel what we’re trying to say in the music,” says Mindy Jackson, co-vocalist for the band. “You can see what we wrote in real life and not just things that we made up and put on paper.” Building off influences of 2000s metalcore bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage, Bullet for My Valentine, Asking Alexandria, Bring Me the Horizon and many more, Dying Oath brings forth the best of what made that era in metal so great: strong elements of melodic death metal. But, they try to do it with a modern view, with a clean male vocal and harsh female vocal combo. Jackson says it’s something “people that enjoyed the 2000s metalcore genre back in the day can still cling to, but it’s also something unique to Dying Oath that people will enjoy and interpret for themselves.” The band, kick-started back in 2018 by lead guitarist Josh Hagee and rhythm guitarist Ryan Endicott, has taken many forms. After playing with a completely different lineup of musicians, the two ventured out to find new members who agreed with what they wanted to do musically. They didn’t find them right away, but Jackson says the band now has its final lineup, which features her, co-vocalist Nestor Idler, drummer Sean Stafford, lead guitarist Josh Hagee, rhythm guitarist Ryan Endicott and bass guitarist Kristen Sawyers. That lineup has played only a handful of live shows together but recently won a fan-vote-based contest, Vote For Your Favorite Band, sponsored by tastytrade, DWPresents and That Zebra Show, despite entering a week later than everyone else. The competition exposed the band to 319,229 viewers, which Jackson says means more than making money. After entering the contest, Dying Oath’s music was played on That Zebra Show’s Twitch livestream. Then each week for a month, fans were sent
The Rockhound bridges the gap between classic rock and today’s music. 46
Virginia-based band Dying Oath is on a mission to resurrect and revamp the metalcore era.
links to vote. Dying Oath came out up with the money for repairs. But on top with 2,572 votes. their fan base quickly rallied, sending “Everything you do helps with donations through the band’s PayPal exposure,” Jackson notes. account to get them back on the road. Because the band doesn’t have a Now that they’re back in motion, recording contract, they’re on their Dying Oath is set to play a few festiown to expand their fan reach. vals during the summer, delivering Although it costs money and eats up their melodic metal tunes. With two a lot of free time, reachvocalists, Jackson and Idler bounce off one ing out to fans brings another with hearty, comfort to Dying Oath. They’re part of a music deep emotional screams community that supplies and smoother melodies, them with an outpouraccompanied by heavy ing of support, and they instrumentation. More rely on word of mouth to After working on a Dying Oath bring in new fans, as well full-length album for the End of Days as DIY mass promotions past year, the band hopes and marketing through to release it in the next their social media pages. few months, displaying a more develThe band also keeps up with a oped and mature sound, Jackson says. separate, more intimate fan page As an independent group, Dying Oath with about 1,000 followers. There, would like to reach the point where they interact personally with fans music could be their full-time gig. If and post exclusive videos and other they don’t, though, Jackson says they’ll behind-the-scenes content not avail- continue making music regardless. able on their public accounts. Start with Dying Oath’s End of “The good thing is that all these Days, a song that shows the progpeople support the band, not only by ress the band is making. Each song coming to shows or buying merch, for them is like a natural evolution. but by helping us by promoting as Pay attention to the emotion the well,” Jackson says. vocalists express and how that’s Their support goes beyond that, countered by sporadic and upbeat though. The band recently set out instrumentation. The band’s goal is in their van to travel and play a few to make listeners feel connected and shows in different states. As a band empowered. on the road, they experienced the Kendall Polidori is The Rockhound, Luckbox’s obligatory van troubles, forcing resident rock music critic. Follow her reviews them to cancel two shows and come on Instagram and Twitter @rockhoundlb.
PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF DYING OATH
Dying Oath Revives Metalcore
Luckbox | August 2022
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7/22/22 11:19 AM
