Having only debuted less than two years ago, Xdinary Heroes are back treating us Villains with a fourth mini-album titled Livelock (released just six months after their last album, Deadlock), delivering more rock music styles and sub-genres that are rarely heard outside of their music realm. 

Released on October 11, Livelock opens with the addictive track “Freddy,” with lyrics that appear to be inspired by iconic horror villain, Freddy Krueger. It’s an incredible opener to the album with a great sound that slightly reminds me of the backdrop to Twenty One Pilots’ 2017 track, “Heavy Dirty Soul.” The song has also dropped at the perfect time as the Five Nights At Freddy’s movie is due for release soon, with fans already combining trailer footage and Xdinary Heroes’ track in fan edits. While all exceptionally talented instrumentalists, Gunil stands out to me the most throughout this song, driving the backdrop with his impeccable drumming skills (alongside the other amazing instruments and vocals), creating a strong opening rock track that sets the tone for the six songs that follow. 

With each comeback, Xdinary Heroes’ musical abilities grow while simultaneously continuing with a sound that is signature to them and their style. In my review of Deadlock, I commented on Xdinary Heroes seemingly having a “signature concept of energetic compositions, impeccable instrumental sections, and catchy, repetitive chorus lines when it comes to their title tracks, and Livelock's second song “Break the Brake'' follows this exact formula. Compared to their previous title tracks, it’s another headbanger that exudes more of an aggressive audio nature through the instrumentation and audio performance. Continuing in Xdinary Heroes’ title track tradition, “Break the Brake” also consists of a mixture of Korean and English lyrics, a rap section from guitarist Gaon and keyboardist O.de, and an electrifying guitar solo from guitarist Jun Han that will blow your mind!

Following in the same vein as the music video for their last title track, “Freakin’ Bad, Freakin’ Good,” the members are again portraying the roles of criminals, this time dressed in orange jumpsuits that read “♭form jail,” fighting their way to getting their instruments back in an old yet modern-looking Western environment, complete with sheriffs and a train riding through a desert. It’s an impressive, action-packed music video with cinematic visuals and excellent acting that joins their growing catalog of exhilarating title track music videos.

With Livelock, there’s something nostalgic about each of the songs but more so in the third track “PLUTO” and the fourth track “Enemy.” “PLUTO” is a stunning rap-pop-punk-rock ballad that immediately became my favorite song on the album. It sounds like something many of us may have listened to when growing up in the 2000s. The vocal execution in “PLUTO” is stunning, even with the added auto-tune effects over some of the members, but especially with Jooyeon who effortlessly delivers light and breathy vocals in the pre-chorus and powerfully intense vocals in the chorus. “Enemy,” on the other hand, goes down an emo-rock route that allows fans to chant along with its ad-libs, and again delivers vocal excellence, showing Xdinary Heroes to be magnificent all-rounders.  

The album then goes into industrial rock with the fifth track "Bad Chemical" whose synths emit a sci-fi-like sound, perfect for a movie OST, before diving into a slow, rock-ballad with the sixth track "Paranoid." If you were a fan of "Good Enough" or "Dear.H" on the last album, then you'll also love "Paranoid." Written by Jooyeon and Jungsu, "Paranoid" delivers strong, stellar vocals and a beautifully composed melody that, together, pull at your emotions. 

Bringing the album to an end, the seventh and final track, "AGAIN? AGAIN!" raises the mood created by "Paranoid" with its highly energized, pop-punk sound. It’s a fun track that I can imagine being a fan favorite at concerts with its energetic nature and shout-singing that fans can easily sing along to. 

While idol rock bands have and do exist, there is just something refreshing and (dare I say) extraordinary about Xdinary Heroes’ presence. Their music feels new and completely different to the other music heard in this industry with the songs of Livelock adding to their exceptional discography, that UK Villains will soon get to experience live through their upcoming Korea On Stage performance in Wembley and their recently announced world tour. As they sing in "Break the Brake," “I want some more…give me some more” Xdinary Heroes music now!

Edited by Aleena Faisal