On August 4th, 2023, VIOLENT VIRA dropped “Till’ Death Was Never Enough”, and something changed. This EP wasn’t just another release—it was a leap forward. If you’ve been following her earlier tracks like “You’re Not Gone, You’re Just Dead!” and “God Complex,” you’ll hear how far she’s come. The sound is deeper, the emotions hit harder, and the themes—heartbreak, grief, love, existential weight—are more raw and real than ever. Blending early 2000’s emo with modern alt-rock vibes, the sound is familiar and fresh.
The Sound: Gritty, Emotional, and Haunting
The EP starts with “You’re Not Gone, You’re Just Dead!”—a gut-punch of a song that immediately sets the mood. It’s all eerie guitar work and soft, echoing beats that creep under your skin. Lyrically, it’s about someone who’s gone physically, but not emotionally. Listeners can feel that emotional weight in every note. It’s the kind of song that leaves you staring at the ceiling long after it ends.
“Frailty” comes next and it shows off VIOLENT VIRA’s range. It’s this beautiful mix of shoegaze fuzz and post-hardcore tension, with layered vocals that feel like inner thoughts spilling out. The track dives into insecurity and emotional fragility—not in a melodramatic way, but in a way that feels honest, like someone trying to figure themselves out in real time.
Then there’s “Amphetamines (Use Me),” and wow—this one is pure chaos in the best way. The energy skyrockets with crashing drums and distorted guitars. It’s aggressive and desperate, but there’s still something intimate about it. The contrast between the intense sound and vulnerable lyrics really makes it stand out.
“Waiting Outside a Hospital” slows everything down. It’s stripped back and minimalist, with the vocals front and center. The lyrics are quietly devastating—about standing in that in-between space, waiting, hoping, fearing. It’s one of the most human tracks on the EP, and you can hear the ache in every line.
Finally, “Collar of Truth” brings everything to a head. It’s big, loud, cathartic—a blend of post-punk energy and raw emotion. There’s something satisfying about the way it builds and crashes, like all the feelings from the previous songs have finally boiled over. It’s not a neat ending, but it’s a powerful one.
The Words: Love, Loss, and the Stuff We Don’t Say Out Loud
Lyrically, this EP cuts deep. “Till’ Death Was Never Enough” isn’t just about heartbreak in the romantic sense—it’s about the things we carry long after people leave. Sometimes those people are still alive. Sometimes they’re not. Either way, the emotions linger.
Songs like “You’re Not Gone, You’re Just Dead!” and “Waiting Outside a Hospital” feel like conversations you never got to finish. They’re about absence, but also about presence—the way someone can haunt your life even when they’re no longer in it.
“Frailty” and “Amphetamines (Use Me)” dig into personal struggle and emotional exhaustion. It’s that internal voice we all try to quiet—the one that questions our worth, that begs for love even when we know it’s unhealthy. These songs don’t try to fix those feelings; they just lay them out in the open.
And then there’s “Collar of Truth,” which feels like a release. After all the reflection and hurt, this track just lets go. There’s something freeing in it, like yelling into the void and finally hearing your own voice echo back.
How It’s Been Received
When the EP came out, people noticed. It’s been getting solid feedback — on music forums and platforms like Album of the Year, it scored in the high 70s, with listeners calling out the emotional honesty and sonic consistency. Tracks like “You’re Not Gone, You’re Just Dead!” and “Collar of Truth” have really stuck with people, and for good reason—they don’t just sound good, they feel important.
A lot of fans have talked about how the EP taps into emotions they didn’t even realize they needed to process. It’s melancholic, but not hopeless. Heavy, but never numb. That emotional balance is rare, and VIOLENT VIRA pulls it off with confidence.
In the end, Till’ Death Was Never Enough isn’t just an EP—it’s a catharsis. It’s for anyone who’s ever loved too hard, lost someone they weren’t ready to let go of, or looked in the mirror and questioned what they saw. It doesn’t offer easy answers, but it gets the questions. And sometimes, that’s more than enough.
