RAT WARS appeared just over a year after the conclusion of DISCO 4, the two-part collaborative opus that reinforced how
HEALTH fit into the past, present, and future of anguished, confrontational music and the worlds of indie, electronic, industrial, and metal. Though this album is just as multifaceted, it's more cohesive and concise. As on 2019's
Vol. 4 :: Slaves of Fear,
HEALTH are laser-focused on
RAT WARS, this time tracing the vicious circle of trauma and abuse that begins at birth. Hints of DISCO 4's ambitions linger in the album's mammoth production, which melds its complex sounds and moods. On "Demigods,"
Jake Duzsik sings tenderly about a "loveless child" as a cathedral's worth of reverb shields him from the bludgeoning riffs and double kick drums. Although "Hateful," "DSM-V," and "Crack Metal" -- which could be the tormented great-great-grandchild of
Nine Inch Nails' "March of the Pigs" -- are firmly rooted in the band's industrial foundations,
HEALTH continue to excel at bending and blending genres. They lean into dance music with "(Of All Else)"'s slamming beats and imbue "Unloved" and "Ashamed" (another showcase for
Duzsik's wounded vocals) with enough synth pop catchiness to let the band's angst sink in deeper. Respites like these make
RAT WARS' forays into metal all the more forceful: The strafing riffs of
Lamb of God's
Willie Adler make "Children of Sorrow" a pummeling standout, while "Sicko"'s relentless grind is built on a
Godflesh sample. As always,
HEALTH are just as powerful when they turn inward, and on the brooding finale "Don't Try," they strike the perfect balance between isolation and intimacy.
RAT WARS' abrupt pivots make a visceral impact, but they're never distracting -- they're just more proof that well into their second decade,
HEALTH are still discovering formidable expressions of hurting and being hurt. ~ Heather Phares
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