DEADGUY – NEAR-DEATH TRAVEL SERVICES

(Andy Synn encourages you all to book a trip with Deadguy on their long-awaited new album)

Don’t call it a comeback!

Or… maybe do? Because if there’s one time you’re probably justified in using that word it’s when a band has a thirty year gap between albums (especially if it’s a thirty year gap between their debut and their follow-up).

The thing is, no matter how influential and iconic Fixation on a Coworker was (and still is, to be clear) there’s no getting around the fact that it has been a very long time since 1995, and during the intervening three decades between then and now the Hardcore scene has grown and expanded and evolved to such an extent that the big question actually seems to be… does the world need a new Deadguy album?

Well, here’s the thing, however you answer that question – mine would be a resounding “yes”, by the way – all that really matters is that this is the album that Deadguy themselves needed to make.

And, let me tell you, this is abundantly clear from the moment that “Kill Fee” kicks in with an ear-splitting howl of “We are the freaks!” and an explosive burst of angular, anxiety-raising riffage and panic-inducing percussion, showcasing a band (reuniting Chris Corvino and Keith Huckins on guitar, Jim Baglino on bass, Dave Rosenberg on drums, and Tim Singer on vocals) not only firing on all cylinders once again but practically picking up right where they left off.

Speaking of “moments”… this is an album absolutely defined by them, and there’s not a single song here (not that I could detect, anyway) that doesn’t include a defining moment or two – from the thrillingly thrashy riffs and stabbing discordance which punctuate the aptly-named “Barn Burner” to the gargantuan grooves of “War With Strangers” and “The Alarmist” (a stellar semi-sequel of sorts to “The Extremist” from their debut) and the spiky, semi-melodic hooks of “The Long Search For Perfect Timing” – absolutely guaranteed to stand-out and stick in your mind long after the album is finished.

It’s also worth pointing out that the lyrics – and their dynamite delivery by Tim Singer – are another huge part of what I love about this record (after all, I’ve always preferred my Hardcore with a healthy social conscience, rather than an obsession with scene politics or overcompensatory macho swagger), with lines like “Pick your gods / Pick your side / We’re selling tickets for the end of times” (“The Forever People”) and “They build you a cage and they call it a kingdom / They step on your neck and call it freedom” (“Wax Princess”) spitting from the speakers in a visceral display that’s equal parts world-weary maturity and venomous youthful vitality.

Look, I must apologise if this review seems a little shorter than usual, it’s just that Deadguy‘s big comeback album does exactly what it sets out to do so well – simultaneously capturing the mood of the current moment while also re-capturing what made the band so great the first time around – that it’s hard not to just gush about it unequivocally (which is something I usually try to avoid doing, to avoid appearing unprofessional).

Suffice it to say, however, that if you’re looking for a trip that’ll take you all the way to the edge of your seat… then book yourselves some time with Near-Death Travel Services ASAP.