The new DEATH album is called “N.E.W.” and it will hit the streets onย April 21 via the Drag City imprint label Tryangle.
In 2009, Drag City Records re-released the band’s United Sound sessions. A reunited DEATH played some reunion gigs that year and put out a rare recordings and demos copilation “The album Spiritual โข Mental โข Physical” in early 2011. DEATH have also received an independent documentary movie called “A Band Called Death”, directed by Jeff Howlett and Mark Covino and released in 2012.
Death tend to sound like a metal version of The English Beat, a band they originally predated by a handful of years. Thatย rhythm section elevatedย over rock guitar gives them their innovative twist. The backing vocals on โPlaytimeโ make it sound like a saxophone-less version of the Beatโsย โTears of a Clownโ cover or a less verbose take on their โTwist & Crawlโ. Following in that order, โChangeโ is Deathโs own version of โSave It for Laterโ, blanketing a catchy chorus with scale-climbing guitar lines and chipper bass.
Death never tried to make complicated music. They were busy being in the minority of the minority, laying down the groundwork forย punk as African Americans in a time when Motown ruled their city. They created the type of gritty, punchy, positive proto-punk that gets you heated for all the right reasons, and itโs asย fitting today as it was in the 1970s. / Consequence Of Sound magazine
