HEALTH - RAT WARS
I've been looking forward to this album for probably half a year now. I cannot explain in words my exact feelings are about this band because they encapsulate so many raw and heavy emotions; I grip my hands so hard that they bleed and they give me this grin on my face so damn hard that the blood vessels in my eyes burst everywhere over this keyboard.
I can not exactly remember how I was introduced to HEALTH, but I believe it was while I was mindlessly working on a Monday morning on my Spotify Discover Weekly. If I were to guess, the algorithm probably placed them into my rotation based on my primitive interests in Nine Inch Nails, Portishead, and Massive Attack.
For the uninitiated, HEALTH got their commercial debut from making the soundtrack of Rockstar Games, Max Payne 3. They've been making heavy, head pounding, neo-electronic, industrial-inspired music since the early 2000s. They've built quite a following, almost cult-like fan base based on goth vibes and anime memes (not sure if they would appreciate that description). They're not exactly mainstream nor underground, but they've collaborated with other artists such as JPEGMAFIA, Nine Inch Nails, The Neighborhood, and even appeared in an episode of the Eric Andre show.
MY IMPRESSIONS:
RAT WARS is not a happy, fun album. It's the darkest album they've made yet. The lyricism is heavy, isolated, and desolate.
The opener 'Demi Gods' is a swarm of anxiety that gives us the feeling of being chased. A great way to start the album.
'UNLOVED' feels like something very 80's...something about the cadence reminds me of Type O Negative and even New Order/Joy Division. Also enjoyed very much as a loose single
'SICKO' lol. That gruff, throaty 'YOU BREED. LIKE RATS. So fucking cool. Jake comes in with the soft spoken lyrics like an angel above the flames.
My favorite track is 'ASHAMED' - very ethereal introduction that breaks into something hauntingly beautiful and unwilling to let you go. When the track was introduced as a loose single it solidified my hype into RAT WARS.
The 'DSM-V' intro is probably the hardest hitting headbanger of a track in the entire album. It sounds heavily heavily Rammstein inspired. It also has all the iconic elements of an industrial track. DSM-V feels like a long song because it evolves throughout; It doesn't let up and keeps you engaged from start to finish. Gripping and aggressive. One of my favorites for sure and unforgettable.
Conclusion–
LOVE THIS ALBUM. It was exactly what I was hoping for and they did not disappoint. My hype for this album was worth the wait. Looking forward to see them live again in April. Eagerly waiting by the doorstop for my RAT WARS T Shirt and vinyl. I can die happy if they play 'ASHAMED' and 'Major Crimes' (from Cyberpunk 2077 OST).
Engaging, deep, thoughtful, existential, aggressive, sad, isolated, abandoned, hopeless.
9.0/10