Review Summary: Follow your dreams, just keep them to yourself.
Rat Wars marked a change in HEALTH’s songwriting, crafting more straightforward tunes than we were accustomed to. The trio still experimented with various sound scapes, however, structurally, it was the most accessible in their catalog yet. Distorted guitars took on a prominent role, whereas the vocals were less processed and pushed up front. While initially planned as a double LP, the idea was ultimately discarded. So, we finally received
Conflict DLC, which as the title implies, it is a direct follow up. The formula is the same, but the blend of industrial metal into their alternative/electronic style feels more organic. The songs often hit harder than the ones on their predecessor, echoing various eras of Ministry, KMFDM or Rammstein. None of the tracks overstay their welcome, most of them being straight up bangers with their trademark desolating lyrics. “Ordinary Loss” comes firing right out of the gates, with aggressive chugs and pounding beats. The chorus is perhaps the most sing-along ready ones in their discography and the break at the end sounds downright evil, complete with screaming and raucous riffs. Also, “Burn the Candles” builds on sequencers and a pumping disco beat. The mix of techno synth pads and guitars adds a nice edge to the tune. Meanwhile, “Vibe Cop” and “Trash Decade” boast impressive and powerful drumming. The former features several segments with tempo shifts, including an acoustic, strummed bridge. The guitars and bass often kick in like bulldozers, but they still offer softer moments too. Although under three minutes in length, they flow smoothly, since HEALTH focused on dynamics considerably here, more so than on
Rat Wars.
The second half of
Conflict DLC slows down a bit, emphasizing moodier numbers. “Antidote”, for example, feels dreamier, closer to the epic “Demigods”. The production significantly helps enrich the layers for a well-rounded sound. Meanwhile, “You Died” comes across as more electronic pop infused, whereas “Thought Leader” channels the more cinematic moments of Front Line Assembly’s recent works. Towards the end, we have the apocalyptic “Don’t Kill Yourself”, whose synths create a cathartic atmosphere, as well as the noisier closer “Wasted Years” and its nostalgic yet melodic groove. The group went for a cohesive collection of songs and it ended up as such. They all feel cut from the same cloth, still, each brings something slightly different to the table. Overall,
Conflict DLC showcases HEALTH at their most accessible in their career. Nevertheless, they discarded a large part of their experimental moments, opting to craft a direct, fun LP. Had it been released as one large body of work together with
Rat Wars, it would have been too much. This way, it is just the right dose of industrial metal to easily listen to in one setting.
