One needs look no further than this band’s name to get an idea of what they’re all about. Just Die! is frantic, unadulterated adrenaline in the form of throat-shredding screams, head-splitting percussion and screeching guitar riffs, neatly packaged in one- to two-minute doses.
Tear-down-the-house verses occasionally give way to anthems with sing-along hooks. For the most part, Just Die! stick to thrash-and-burn hardcore. And that suits fans just fine.
The band was somewhat of an overnight success in Asheville, quickly establishing ties within the tight-knit punk community and performing alongside a who’s who of that scene.
But they always made a point to be accessible to outsiders; Just Die! shows draw a remarkably diverse crowd, all things considered. Last year, guitarist Matt Evans explained it to Xpress like this: “We're like the high-five-ing, good times, keeping-a-smile-on-our-face guys as we play music. And the effect is that it brings out people who just wanna have a good time. I'm not necessarily saying the frat boys who like to throw down beers all the time, but we're definitely not just a straight punk-rock group."
— Dane Smith
