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In the course of describing Miss May I's new album, "Shadows Inside," out Friday, scream vocalist Levi Benton uses the words "emotional" and "polished" — two adjectives not typically associated with metalcore bands.
But then, Benton & Co. don't want Miss May I to be a typical metalcore band.
The group is known for its prolific recording and touring schedules, and Benton said in a phone interview with The Tribune that's because he and his bandmates have grand ambitions in mind.
"I think everyone in the band is on the same page in terms of what we want. We don't just see it as playing venues and doing shows, we see a bigger picture," he said. "We see what we envisioned metal bands as when we were kids — we see walls of fire and the production and arenas of people singing along, and things like that. That's what we all want as a band. With us all having the same mindset, I think that pushes us every time. We go into the work knowing we have to do more."
Next Wednesday's show at In The Venue in Salt Lake City may not feature plentiful pyro, but a crowd sing-along isn't out of the question.
"Shadows Inside" is Miss May I's sixth album in the band's eight-year existence. As usual, it features Benton primarily screaming his lyrics, with bassist Ryan Neff adding "clean" singing.
What's different is that while Benton's vocal stylings may come off as intense and angry, he's more stridently insistent than ever that what's coming out of his mouth is actually quite heartfelt and relatable.
"I think that's the great thing about Miss May I, that keeps us from falling into a pile of other metalcore bands. We're a really emotional band, you can hear it in my voice. That's how it's always been," Benton said. "And it really comes out on this record. … There have been countless times where we were that bridge, where you're like, 'Wow, this isn't just screaming and just being heavy. There's actually a meaning behind this.' "
Most of that meaning, he added, revolves around the theme of change.
The group was changing management and labels, Neff was going through a breakup, and Benton was hyperbolically "moving halfway across the freaking world!" (Though, from a certain point of view, Los Angeles can feel like a whole different world than Troy, Ohio.)
"That's what 'Shadows Inside' stands for. It sounds a lot darker than it is," Benton said. "But it's just the changes that everyone has, and leaving the past behind."
Part of that includes embracing new ways of doing things.
While Miss May I were accustomed to rushing out an album to more quickly get on the road to then be able to repeat that process, their new label encouraged them to take their time and think through what they wanted to accomplish with "Shadows Inside."
Benton said the move paid off.
"There's a lot of chances we took on this record, there's a lot of weird songs. They came naturally, though, which was great. It wasn't like we went out of our way to do something weird, it's just that there were amazing things coming out that we've never really had. We really went into the studio without any pressure. This was our first time going into the studio with no pressure and just being able to have natural, amazing things come out of us instead of working really hard to make it happen," he said. "So, the weird songs people are hearing, I feel like we could have [written] those three albums ago, but we didn't have the time, we didn't have the mindset to really do that, because it was always like, 'Hurry up, we've got a long tour [coming]! Hustle, hustle, hustle!' And this time, the label was like, 'Take as much time as you want, make the best record you can.' And we took that to heart and took nine months off and did this record."
Beyond changing their process, Miss May I also changed their music a bit.
While some longtime fans have complained that the band has unnecessarily downshifted from metalcore to more straightforward metal or even hard rock, Benton counters that it's not a deliberate move from center so much as a natural evolution of creative individuals.
"I think it's a good shift. A lot of it is just growing as musicians. We've never been a band that's really trying to go out of our way to impress people. But every time we go into the studio, we're trying something new," he said. "We're always trying to get better playing our instruments. We're trying to get better as songwriters. With that, you see us maturing as a band."
As a result, Benton admits that for perhaps the first time, his focus is not on planning for what's coming down the road, but enjoying what's immediately ahead.
"For now, it's headline, headline, headline," he said. "We've been a support band for long enough, and we always held out on headlining until the record was right and the time was right — and we feel the time is now right. … We're really excited for that."
Twitter: @esotericwalden —
With Upon A Burning Body, Kublai Khan, Currents
When • Wednesday, June 7; doors 5 p.m., show at 6
Where • In The Venue, 219 S. 600 West, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $17 advance, $19 day of; Ticketfly