ALBUM REVIEW: CONFLICT DLC BY HEALTH
Reviewed by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Los Angeles industrial synth-heavy rockers HEALTH are about to deliver a new album in ‘Conflict DLC’, and it has lots of guitar and bass running through the songs. On the 12 tracks, HEALTH wrestles with the digital nightmare we live in, and the depression, anxiety, and compulsive behaviours that new technology brings in the digital dystopia. The songs melodic lyricism aims at doomscrolling, the endless abyss of consuming despair and online loneliness. The heavy instrumentation becomes a backdrop for ominous feelings of fear that are freshly terrifying. The album’s title also nods to their work in the video-game world, where many of these life problems are magnified.
The album opens with ethereal vocals leading into ‘Ordinary Loss’, where “the dead are blessed with no dreams”. When the juddering distorted guitars and pumping drum machines cut in to underscore Jake Duzsik's soft, whispery singing, the song takes on a feeling of vulnerability. It is such a strong start. It is followed by ‘Burn The Candles’, that utilises the full frequency spectrum of sub-bass and transience in the drums with those floating vocals. Before ‘Vibe Cop’, with its dense, ominous sound and brutally sincere lyrics, captures the absurd unravelling of the modern world. It is a very heavy track, and it enlists the help of Willie Adler from Lamb of God to provide those crushing guitar melodies and solos.
The huge drums kick in with ‘Trash Decade’ as the haunting vocals float over the top, that lamenting the pain of modern life, where “hope is just a word” and “another drug”. Then, ‘Torture II’ leads with those solemn synths that seem gentle as they provide an instrumental interlude. Then, the beautiful ‘Antidote’, with its dreamy and atmospheric sound, brings a wave of relief. It is such a great song – a real album highlight.
Then, ‘Darkage’ opens with foreboding synths, pulsing in a deep register before stopping, and big drum beats and those stunning vocals begin, to be followed by those big guitar riffs. You can hear acoustic guitars in the mix, that hold the songs melody to that extraordinary voice. ‘Shred Envy’ has those choppy synths before the heavy returns with big screamcore vocals and big drums, as those clean vocal float. Then, ‘You Died’ is a mournful song with stark production, ominous synths, deep and sparkling, the contrast is disconcerting. It leaves the listener with an uncomfortable feeling and a searing sense of loss.
The track ‘Thought Leader’ is sonically ferocious and existentially charged, as it blends industrial, electronic, and metal elements into a swirling soundscape. The song says ‘Don’t Kill Yourself’ even if you hate the way we live in this modern world, with its body dysmorphia and avatars. The message of hope and grace is embedded. The album closes out with ‘Wasted Years’, and the digital world certainly does that – waste your time. It’s a fight drawn out in the drums and huge cacophony of guitars and synths.
HEALTH have delivered an album that is terrifyingly beautiful and terrifying. Their lyrical examination of anger, fear, sadness, and death is wonderfully realised. They beg for your digitally distracted attention over 12 songs, to think about how this digital world is a two-edged sword – so much light and creative good, and so much darkness and evil. The devil is in the details and the dark edges. ‘Conflict DLC’ is a fabulous album.
