Album Review: ‘All Dead Bars Go To Heaven’ by Dead Bars

I first discovered Dead Bars in 2015 with the Emergency b/w Off the Ground single and interviewed lead singer John Maiello in 2017 around the release of the band’s full-length debut Dream Gig. In 2018, I saw the band play live and boy did they put on a hell of a show, plus Maiello was super kind and an all around good dude. Their sophomore full-length Regulars came out in 2019 and like its predecessor, was one of my favorite records of the year. For whatever reason, I lost touch with Dead Bars after 2019 and missed two EPs, a live album, and a split with The Raging Nathans. When I heard that they were going to drop their third full-length album this year, I knew that I needed to check it out and damn I’m glad that I did!

All Dead Bars Go To Heaven is not only the best Dead Bars record to date, it is also the best record of 2025 to date. The songs are sharp and crisp and Maiello’s vocals are heartfelt, clear, and have never sounded this good. This record is somehow bigger and better than the band’s already excellent discography. There’s something about All Dead Bars Go To Heaven that I can’t quite name or put my finger on, some tangible way the band has kicked things up a notch and gotten better, but hell if I know what it is. What I do know is this album is outstanding and absolutely the record that all others will be judged against this year. To borrow a Will Ospreay catch phrase, Dead Bars are on another level.