Album Review: HEALTH – Death Magic (2015 LP)

LA noise band HEALTH officially released their third studio album Death Magic earlier in the year. The hiatus between their previous album Get Color and the new Death Magic has paid off. These guys have been dipping their toes into numerous projects over the years, from game soundtracks to video collabs with greats like Eric Wareheim. There’s been no rush for Death Magic but since it’s come from whatever creative dark well HEALTH reside in, it has been engulfed in critical acclaim.

Being given over a half a decade to breathe and start anew could leave any band struggling to achieve their original sound. But in HEALTH’s case, going backwards isn’t really an option. Their sound is such a behemoth of force, noise and Jacob Duzsik’s vague, outer-worldly vocals that it’s impossible for the band to create an album that backs away from the beast.

Compared to their self-titled debut and Get Color, Death Magic tends to stumble as if not sure where it wants to go. Like a drunk leaning to the left and then swinging its other foot to the right, Death Magic lunges from noise pop to total gothic noise in one fell swoop.

Structure is another new item on the menu for HEALTH. “Stonefist” has all the same splintering power of previous tracks but with a framework and an end on the horizon. Then in that same sway Health crashes into “Men Today”. Death Magic swells to a new level of force from HEALTH. Gaining more energy from bass, it digs its feet deep into the dirt and prepares to hold steadfast against the brewing storm.

Even with this dark and brooding energy inevitably growing to a destructive crescendo some poppy numbers still manage to slip in. This is a new characteristic to the HEALTH’s animal of a sound, as if some kind of exotic new breed just discovered off the edges of the Congo.

The album closes with “Drugs Exist”. Getting high on synth sounds has never been such a smooth drag. There’s certainly a sense of winding down and moving into a slower, pleasurable sound experience.

HEALTH will be dropping into Australian shores for St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival in February 2016. Listen to Death Magic and get excited for their arrival.

Review Score: 8.2 out of 10.

Death Magic is available now.

 

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