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"Novacaine" is a song by American alternative metal band 10 Years. It was their first single off of their eighth studio album (How to Live) As Ghosts. It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard US Mainstream Rock Songs chart.

Background

The song was first released on August 16, 2017, as the first single from the band's eighth studio album, (How to Live) As Ghosts. A music video was released on September 26, 2017.

Themes and composition

Lyrically, Hasek explained that the song is about the loss of enthusiasm people go through as they transition from youth to adulthood. He described:

At some point, you start to get real adult problems. Life has such a numbing to it. You see people go from such optimism in their 20s to having life just beat them down later. I think we all kind of get desensitized and numb to life on some level."

The track was described as one of three key tracks from the album that deal with issues of mortality and mankind.

Journalists noted that the song still generally sounded like 10 Year's alternative metal sound, but with more of an alternative rock edge to it. The song was noted as being less aggressive than the songs of their prior album, From Birth to Burial, and not as epic as their biggest single, "Wasteland", but that it still contained Hasek's soaring vocals over a big guitar sound. Loudwire described the song as a "driving rocker with...guitar pulsing through the track... Jesse Hasek's voice...powering the song with a rather atmospheric and triumphant feel in the chorus as he really opens it up."

Music video

The song's music video reflects the song's lyrical content of being stuck in life through a scenario similar to the film Groundhog Day. In the video, the main character, a business man, appears to have his life together, with a nice job, living place, and car, but feels like he's in a slump living the same boring day over and over again. Additionally, he continues to encounter random strangers that keep saying "dead as dead can be" to him.

Personnel

10 Years

• Jesse Hasek – vocals
• Brian Vodinh – guitar, drums
• Matt Wantland - guitar

Production

• Nick Raskulinecz - production

Charts

References

1. ^ Childers, Chad (August 16, 2017). "10 Years Release New Song 'Novocaine,' Reveal Album Details". Loudwire.
2. ^ "10 Years Return With Punchy New Single 'Novacaine'". Immortal Reviews. August 16, 2017.
3. "ASCAP Repertory entry for this song". ASCAP. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
4. "Novacaine - 10 Years | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
5. Rock, Scott Munro2017-08-16T15:50:00 227Z Classic (August 16, 2017). "10 Years return with new album and single". Classic Rock Magazine.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
6. "10 Years release 'Novacaine' music video".
7. ^ "Video Premiere: 10 YEARS' 'Novacaine'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. September 26, 2017.
8. ^ "10 Years Debut "Novacaine" Music Video". Theprp.com. September 26, 2017.
9. "10 Years Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
10. "10 Years Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
11. "10 Years Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2021.

• 2017 singles
• 2017 songs
• 10 Years (band) songs
• Songs written by Jesse Hasek