SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HEALTH – CONFLICT DLC

HEALTH
CONFLICT DLC
LOMA VISTA RECORDINGS

Prominent and adventurous industrial/noise veterans, HEALTH, return to the scene with a fresh spread of a dozen tracks. Seeing as the group is no stranger to critical acclaim and possesses a strong penchant for putting on a passionate, life-changing live show, it should come as no surprise that the group’s latest LP is a visceral and compounding statement. A statement that ultimately culminates in one of Health’s greatest projects to date.

It’s not all too common to run into a band that proudly labels their sound as cum metal, but it would be foolish to interpret the group as a contemporary novelty act. As soon as the first track, “ORDINARY LOSS,” kicks off, the listener is greeted with a pulsing drum beat and industrial electronics that immediately set the sonic tone for the rest of the LP. This includes (but is not limited to) incredibly competent song structure, invigorating vocal performances, and blisteringly distorted guitars that would be able to physically punch through your speaker if they were mixed a decibel louder. Essentially, it’s foreshadowing the stories and sounds of being alive in 2025 that will soon follow throughout the record. It’s an overwhelming, cacophonous, and captivating experience that successfully mimics the overwhelming and cacophonous experience of attempting to navigate the world contemporarily.

SPILL FEATURE: JUST GET OFF THE FUCKING PHONE – A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN FAMIGLIETTI OF HEALTH

Even on the surface, HEALTH is providing ample amounts of addictive melodies and entrancing vocal performances. Complementing them continuously is a soundscape of powerful synthesizers and effect pedals that fluctuate widely in terms of execution and rhythm. In a musical landscape where copy-paste beat patterns reign supreme with little ambiguity or explicit experimentation in mind, Health’s CONFLICT DLC pierces through the landscape as a laser beam of ambition and compassionate energy. These sentiments are especially highlighted during the back half of the album. The impact reaches an emotional climax on the 11th track, which is aptly titled, “DON’T KILL YOURSELF.” The track features arresting vulnerability in the lead lyrics, which tell the story of a person who genuinely wants to live their life but can’t find a solid pathway towards doing so. The instrumental is emotional, grand, and optimistic, almost as if it’s cheering on the character in the narrative, hoping that they will be able to see the light sometime soon.

At this LP’s core, HEALTH is leaning heavily into their noisy roots while improving their songwriting game from every imaginable front. It’s anything but a small statement; showered in layered effect pedals and compounding sounds that erupt in organized chaos more often than not, it’s exciting to see an LP that is so painstakingly cognizant. The LP isn’t only aware from a musical perspective, but from a societal and philosophical lens as well. HEALTH wants you to know that you have to fight to survive, and they’re right beside you on that journey.

Artist Links