Music Review, Death, N.E.W.

By Tyler Hodg

The music industry is a funny one: how a band can exist for 40 years, go completely unappreciated, and then experience a surge in popularity decades into the game is quite remarkable. Detroit punk rock band Death has accomplished this very feat—and in grand style, naturally—with their first album since 1976. Appropriately titled, N.E.W. is refreshing and surprisingly current, and is a testament to the longevity of rock’n’roll music.

If you had no prior knowledge of Death, it would be nearly impossible to determine that they have been around since the 1970s. Their music features the unmistakably dirty, aggressive sound of the Detroit rock’n’roll scene they were part of in their yesteryears (as it should, considering some of the songs on this record were written in the ‘70s), but at the same time, it all feels brand new (no pun intended). Maybe it’s because rock’n’roll isn’t as prominent in the music scene today. Maybe it’s because of the modern production. Whatever the reason is, Death’s N.E.W. is a fortifying reminder that rock’n’roll is, and always will be, around.

From the thunderous opening of “Relief” to the final track “Change,” the album rarely slows down and each song is as hard-hitting as the last. There is not a single weak track and the energy all the songs possess is incredibly infectious; arguably the most punk song on the record, “You Are What You Think,” perfectly exemplifies this.

Of all of them, the second to last track, “Resurrection,” feels the most significant. In the chorus, the band repeats the line “This feels like a resurrection” in unison, and the meaning behind it isn’t ambiguous at all—the band truly has experienced a resurrection. Ongoing support from new and old fans has resulted in a second life for the band and this song is a clear indication of the immense appreciation Death has for what has happened to them.

Unfortunately, the lineup featured on N.E.W. is not the “original lineup”; David Hackney, brother of bandmates Dannis and Bobby, passed away before the resurgence of the band in 2008. Enlisting the help of guitarist Bobbie Duncan, the band rose once again to record what is an incredible tribute to their late brother David. That’s not to to say the album is sappy, because it’s far from it, but it’s easy to see that both their love for their brother and newfound support from a whole new generation served as massive influences to them.

Death is relevant and here to stay, and if you need any further proof, just listen to N.E.W. and see for yourself.

N.E.W. was released on April 21 by TryAngle Records via Drag City.