Track-by-Track: Baltimore Metalcore Crew Dead Eyes Explore the Themes on New EP ‘Stability’

Hailing from Baltimore, USA, Dead Eyes’ story really started in 2019 when a vocalist by the name of Zach Williams packed his belongings into a car and drove 24 hours across the country to join the rest of the musicians. Fast-forward to 2021 and the band have just dropped their huge new EP, Stability.

Packed with socially aware themes from addiction to Chron’s disease, the EP is just a taster for what is to come from the group and with their Facebook community, The Dead Kru rapidly growing in numbers and Williams own TikTok page hitting over 1.7 million views in 2021, the Baltimore band are heading into 2022 on a massive high.

Following the release of the EP, Dead Eyes sat down with us and explored the themes inspiring the six songs in this exclusive track-by-track feature.

1. “Stand For Something”

“This is the Deadkru Anthem: The mantra of the Deadkru and the mindset. We know who we are. We know what we deserve and we won’t stop until we get it. It’s a song about standing up for yourself and the people around you who can’t stand up for themselves. Understanding what you deserve and going out and doing something about it. What do we deserve? Equality. Basic human dignity. Not to be treated like you’re less than. Not to be discriminated against. Everyone deserves a fair shake. There are too many people who don’t even get a shake, let alone a fair one. This is the Deadkru mindset. This is what we are: Unified.”

2. “Halo”

“This is a song about judgement. Historically religion is supposed to be something that empowers people but throughout time it has been abused as a tool to manipulate and control people. Halo was the first song ever written for Dead Eyes. It has gone through many changes but the meaning remains the same: judge from glass castles at your own risk. The band has played this song at every show it has ever played so it is about time the recorded version is available to the world.”

3. “Make You Believe”

“‘Make You Believe’ Is about blocking out the noise, about finding a way to keep yourself level & on track no matter what is going on around you and how many people are trying to tear you away from your dreams.”

4. “Break In The Current”

“‘Break In The Current’ is about getting knocked down and refusing to stay down; having the conviction to know you have what it takes to get back up no matter how far, hard or often you fall. ‘Feet bruised by the miles travelled looking for myself and I need help’ – I wrote that when I was 19 and held on to it for almost a decade. This was the last song written for the record but the first in all those years that could be a vehicle for those feelings. The entire song was written & recorded in 8 hours and this is the moment we knew who we were”

5. “The Comedown”

“‘The Comedown’ tells the story of someone caught in the cycle of addiction and more so someone who has no desire to change and break away from it. Someone who would rather be left alone to die with their addiction regardless of how much support they have around them. This was the case for one of Zach’s family members from whom the song’s story was derived. Beyond addiction the song speaks a lot about the feeling of loneliness and isolation, and what it feels like to just want to be left alone.”

6. “Expiration Date”

“‘Expiration Date’ speaks to feeling like everyone and everything is working against you. Your friends have become enemies; Their words of encouragement turned to snide condescending remarks looking through the mask of your mental illness. All the while you’re having the heartbreaking realization that all good things must come to an end. Keep your nose to the grindstone. Look at what you have been through and realize everything you’ve been working for. All the sacrifices you’ve made are going to pay off.”

Artwork for ‘Stability’ by Dead Eyes