Rat Wars＜限定盤＞

RAT WARS appeared just over a year after the conclusion of DISCO 4, the two-part collaborative opus that reinforced how HEALTH fit into the past, present, and future of anguished, confrontational music and the worlds of indie, electronic, industrial, and metal. Though this album is just as multifaceted, its more cohesive and concise. As on 2019s Vol. 4 :: Slaves of Fear, HEALTH are laser-focused on RAT WARS, this time tracing the vicious circle of trauma and abuse that begins at birth. Hints of DISCO 4s ambitions linger in the albums mammoth production, which melds its complex sounds and moods. On "Demigods," Jake Duzsik sings tenderly about a "loveless child" as a cathedrals worth of reverb shields him from the bludgeoning riffs and double kick drums. Although "Hateful," "DSM-V," and "Crack Metal" -- which could be the tormented great-great-grandchild of Nine Inch Nails "March of the Pigs" -- are firmly rooted in the bands industrial foundations, HEALTH continue to excel at bending and blending genres. They lean into dance music with "(Of All Else)"s slamming beats and imbue "Unloved" and "Ashamed" (another showcase for Duzsiks wounded vocals) with enough synth pop catchiness to let the bands angst sink in deeper. Respites like these make RAT WARS forays into metal all the more forceful: The strafing riffs of Lamb of Gods Willie Adler make "Children of Sorrow" a pummeling standout, while "Sicko"s relentless grind is built on a Godflesh sample. As always, HEALTH are just as powerful when they turn inward, and on the brooding finale "Dont Try," they strike the perfect balance between isolation and intimacy. RAT WARS abrupt pivots make a visceral impact, but theyre never distracting -- theyre just more proof that well into their second decade, HEALTH are still discovering formidable expressions of hurting and being hurt. ~ Heather Phares