Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness (Album Review)

 

Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness

(2008)


My copy: 2016 limited repress on red vinyl by Flenser Records and Enemies List Home Recordings


Deathconsciousness is a dense collection of lo-fi shoegaze/post-punk songs with a wide cult following. Written by Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga, the album is borderline amateurish in its production and songwriting, and yet there is something really special about Deathconsciousness that has inspired waves of copycats.

“A Quick One Before The Eternal Worm Devours Connecticut” is a slow, whirling piece of dark ambiance that is balanced out by mysterious and slow acoustic guitar arpeggios. Cryptic and reverb-soaked vocals speak out before the album drops us into the relentless bass and drum loops of “Bloodhail,” which is almost certainly the most popular track on the record. “Bloodhail” channels post-punk and even minor elements of emo in the vocal performances (this is found all throughout the album). Barrett is an inherently talented vocalist: despite not having formal training in music theory, he is able to craft catchy and moody harmonies that draw people in droves to his songs which is beyond true on “Bloodhail” with its iconic “arrowheads” lyric.

“The Big Gloom” is probably the lowest point on the album, with muddy lo-fi bass and drums that seem to never end. Barrett’s pleading and atmospheric vocals help save “The Big Gloom” along with some synth strings but this track ends up just being rather boring and suffering the most from the poor recording quality. “Hunter” is one of two 9 plus minute long songs and has a powerful industrial sound that features heavenly vocal and piano duets. “Hunter” swells and recedes in a very calculated manner, and has almost a strange 80s new wave style with some synth choices. 

“Telephony,” “Deep, Deep” and “Waiting For Black Metal Records To Come In The Mail” are the most traditionally post-punk songs with the latter featuring a foreboding synth intro. The dark ambient experiments on the album range from haunting with blistering feedback (“The Future”) to almost soothing in an eerie way (“Who Would Leave Their Son Out In The Sun” and “There Is No Food”) 

The cream of the crop are all on the back half of the album, “Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000” is a testament to Barrett’s vocal skills and the gentle acoustic guitar and piano weave a mysterious patchwork that is eventually broken down by the intense heavy section that rips through the song like a bulldozer. “I Don’t Love” has the most emo influence in its lyricism with depressed vocal sighs preceding explosive lo-fi shoegazing with memorable basslines. “Earthmover” is the pinnacle of everything Deathconsciousness sets out to accomplish: an awesome combination of all previously mentioned genres that grinds like heavy machinery and twinkles with piano melodies and vocal harmonies in order to balance the heavy distorted instruments.

Deathconsciousness is an almost uncomfortably personal gaze into the soul of a man who has bore the darkest parts of his heart to the world in such an intense way that it has created a lasting legacy in spite of some production flaws; It is not quite an amazing album, but it is a great piece of rock music that deserves every bit of its cult following.

My copy, along with the many other colored variants of this album are quite expensive online now. Fans who aren't as picky can still find decently priced standard copies. The album also includes a booklet that explains the concept of the album.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Makes an Album Great

Image
            Great albums should leave lasting impressions, not only on those who listen as non-musicians, but also on the realm of music these albums occupy. In other words, a musical project should seek to leave some distinct mark on it's genre, to lay claim to some form of unique personality; this can often come in many forms, ranging from broad sound choices to subtle production techniques. This method for evaluating music seeks to make complacency the enemy, and forward movement the desired goal. This is not to say that all derivative albums are necessarily bad, as of course, outliers will always exist. Rather, the goal of an artist should, intrinsically, be to leave some reflection of their own condition, regardless of how relatable those emotions may or may not be. In music, this can be achieved in multiple ways, however I will focus on three aspects that I find particularly important when listening to music.      When co...
Read more

Oneohtrix Point Never - Again (Album Review)

Image
  Oneohtrix Point Never - Again (2023) My copy: 2023 limited press on orange transparent vinyl by Warp Records. Having built a strong reputation across a multitude of electronic projects, Daniel Lopatin now cashes in on his modern influence to compile what is likely his most ambitious project yet. Spanning over an hour, Again picks up where 2017’s Garden Of Delete left off, for better and for worse. Even with lush string arrangements and big-name features, Lopatin is unable to prevent Again from falling victim to some serious bloat. Anxiety immediately unravels in the orchestral “Elseware” though this introductory track quickly straightens out into a beguiling arrangement that is unlike any “typical” Oneohtrix track. The ritual “Again” then dives headfirst into Lopatin’s usual world of chittering robots and droning vocal mimicry. Things begin more explorative - descending into the depths of some synthesized hell before fading and restarting. Acoustic flourishes fester alongside...
Read more

Part Chimp - I Am Come (Album Review)

Image
  Part Chimp - I Am Come (2005) My copy: 2005 press by Rock Action Records As the millennium turned, rock music trends began to shift. In the U.S. a band called Lightning Bolt were establishing themselves as forerunners of modern noise-rock by pushing the music in increasingly weird directions. Across the pond, Mclusky were fighting the good fight with the 2002 Albini-produced Do Dallas, that wove dry, intelligent humor in between bursts of electrifying instrumental poundings. But over in London, another set of noise-crazed rockers got their start around the same time.  Part Chimp’s humor is a touch more on the nose; see album title Chart Pimp, or song title “Hitler and Jews” from the same 2002 debut. But directness is just where a band calling themselves “Part Chimp” excels. As rock began softening and going the way of the Strokes real quick, Chart Pimp offered a bastion of sludge-y rock ferocity that mostly suffered from being less able to fully capture the sheer volume ...
Read more