Set It Off Enters Their Self-Titled Era and It’s One Of Their Best Yet
Set It Off. I don’t know where to start, I could tell stories for days and it still wouldn’t be enough.
I’ve known this little band since 2010, and my first show was an acoustic show at a Hot Topic in STL. Watching them grow, progress, and find themselves over the years has been an emotional roller coaster.
From being literally one half of the crowd at a show to seeing them sell out bigger and bigger venues all over the road, this one is dear to my heart.
I’ll start with a throwback of a release that made its way to this album - “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing [REBORN]”. This song was originally on the band’s album Duality. While this newer version is missing guest vocals from William Beckett, it packs a punch that the original can’t match. Cody’s intro of “it’s good to be back” really sets the entire mood this album brings to the table. The mix of nostalgia and new had me in a fluster of emotions with my first listen.
With that, let’s dive into the album.
Set It Off opens with “Pathological”, which was the last single from the album. Immediately this feels like a sequel to “Hypnotized”, in the very best way. The mix of rap and catchy choruses is classic Cody Carson. This song dives straight in, full of relatable anger towards the subject. We’ve all encountered someone who has caused these feelings and putting it into a song is a power move.
Next we have “Punching Bag”, and that intro had me questioning what year it is, with a sound that could come straight out of Cinematics, or even Horrible Kids. “@reply”, anybody? Fifteen years and many releases later, this feels like a classic Set It Off song.
Track 3 is “Rotten”, which was released as a single in June. I’ll start by saying I’ve found myself with the chorus stuck in my head on several occasions, even without a recent listen. “Bite down right now, feel the blade draw the blood from the roof of your mouth” is one hell of a bridge and showcases Cody’s vocal range perfectly.
“Switch” tells a story of a person going hot to cold and the confusion it causes, which is another very relatable scenario. How often have we all experienced this, whether it be intentional, or a symptom of a mental health disorder? “Which version am I gonna get today? That hero or the villain in your brain?”
“Fake Ass Friends” is one of the most relatable for me personally. This single was released on my birthday in 2024, and during a time I had been wronged by a group of people I had considered friends, and I resonate with every single line. The cherry on top is that this song is absolutely danceable. I can’t sit still when I listen to it.
via instagram
The title of the next song starts telling a story before the song starts. “What’s In It For Me?” could have several meanings behind it, but all of them sprout from frustration. I feel like a broken record with how often I’ve mentioned a song being relatable, but this is one of the most relatable albums I’ve listened to in some time.
“Evil People” starts the second half of the album. The riffs on this one are some of my favorites and the bridge is the perfect buildup to a great breakdown, with spoken word vocals that bring chills.
Next, we have “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing [REBORN]”. While I’ve already talked about this one, I’ll talk about it again. With every listen I’m thrown back in time, to so many great memories of seeing it live and the energy in the room. Hands up and side to side during the chorus, every single time.
“Vicious Cycle” starts with a catchy kick drum beat from Maxx and more of the old school Cinematics vibes. Go figure, another catchy, relatable song, in the best way.
Synchronized dancers in a creepy, dark circus tent is what I see in my mind while listening to the intro of “Creating Monsters”. The rest of the song follows suit, with self-depreciating lyrics telling stories about what goes on in someone’s mind that nobody else sees, and the dark secrets it holds.
“Parasite” is another great mix of Cody’s vocal styles, and every line he raps gets me absolutely pumped. Dancing, head banging, and angry finger pointing all in one.
We’ve come to the final song on the album, “Worst Case Scenario”. The tappy guitar riff that starts the song caught my attention immediately. This feels like the power-ballad of the record, while still being heavy. I’m already hopeful for an acoustic version because this one is beautiful and breaking it down might cause me to have a breakdown. The raw lyrics acting as a call for help invokes so many emotions and is a beautiful way to end the album.
Writing this review has truly thrown me down memory lane, and I am so grateful for 15 years of opportunities and the friendships I truly wouldn’t have if it weren’t for this band. To say a band changed your life could mean an infinite number of things to each person, but Set It Off truly did change mine, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t sat on that dirty Hot Topic floor in 2010. I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph a few of their shows throughout the years, and I’m sharing a few photos below, ranging from that first day I met the band to the last I shot in 2022.
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