LA synth-rockers HEALTH have been through some big changes since they arrived on our radar nearly two decades ago. They started out as a noisy, experimental art-punk group with some dance tendencies, and they've turned into a goth-industrial institution, a reliable source for music that makes you feel like you're about to get into a gunfight in a late-'90s sci-fi movie. They've also made a whole lot of music for video game soundtracks, which makes total sense. They're really good at combining thunder with sleekness, and they'll it going on Conflict DLC, the new album that they'll release later this year.
HEALTH's last album Rat Wars came out in 2023, and they followed it with the one-off Chelsea Wolfe collab "Mean" last year. Their new Conflict DLC drops in December, a perfect time for a HEALTH album, and I like the way the title nods to their work in the video-game world. The new LP opens with "Ordinary Loss," a nasty new track. It's got juddering distorto-guitars and pumping drum machines that remind me of prime Ministry, but Jake Duzsik's soft, whispery gives the song a slight feeling of vulnerability. Even more than HEALTH's recent records, this one sounds like what would happen if, like, Ben Gibbard sang for White Zombie.
In the Conflict DLC Bandcamp description, HEALTH write, "No, it’s not just your imagination. The future is shit and the phone you are reading this on is making it worse, but please don’t put it down. We are delighted to announce 12 new tracks of anger, fear, sadness and death, and to beg for yet more of your addled attention." Below, check out "Ordinary Loss" and the Conflict DLC tracklist.
TRACKLIST:
01 "Ordinary Loss"
02 "Burn The Candles
03 "Vibe Cop"
04 "Trash Decade"
05 "Torture II"
06 "Antidote"
07 "Darkage"
08 "Shred Envy"
09 "You Died"
10 "Thought Leader"
11 "Don't Kill Yourself"
12 "Wasted Years"
Conflict DLC is out 12/11 on Loma Vista. HEALTH style the album and song titles in all-caps, but I didn't want to write this whole dang post with the caps-lock on.
