Album Reviews

A Compilation by Health – Selected Works – Album Review

The Band

 

Health is an American noise rock/industrial band, formed in 2005.

They have five studio albums; the last is Rat Wars (2023).

They also have made music for video game soundtracks like Grand Theft Auto V.

 

Band Members

  • Jake Duzsik – vocals, guitar 
  • John Famiglietti – bass, pedals, electronics 
  • BJ Miller – drums 

 

 

The Album

 

This work is a compilation of various HEALTH songs and collaborations from 2019-2024. It was released on May 13th, 2024, and it has a length of 36 minutes.

 

The Songs 

 

1. The Drain by Bad Omens, HEALTH & SWARM. I’ve already made the review of this song in Bad Omens’s review, so here’s the link: https://metalbere.com/a-dystopian-soundtrack-with-bad-omens-concrete-jungle-the-ost-album-review/

Jake, Health’s singer sings in this, and in the chorus, Noah, Bad Omens’s singer. In the bridge, they sing together and in the outro is Jake, again.

Because of this song, I got to know Health.

Dark industrial sound, with a great bass line.

In the background of the chorus, you can hear very lightly the melody of Bad Omens’s The Death Of Peace Of Mind.

 

2. DSM-V. It’s a super industrial track, heavy on the synth. The vocals are very light on the mix and almost fade into an ambient sound.

 

3. Dead Flowers by HEALTH & Poppy. This song counts with the American singer Poppy. Chilled. Jake & Poppy’s voices melt together and blend with the music. She does some screams in the back, before the chorus. 

I liked the song. It has a shoegaze vibe. 

 

4. Hateful (Ft. Sierra [FR]). Sierra is a French musician. The song starts with an electronic beat and even has an electronic breakdown. 

 

5. Feel Nothing. A calm, but catchy track.

 

6. Children of Sorrow. It begins with a guitar, bass, drums, and a more rocker style. Then it gets atmospheric, just like the rest of the songs, but you can still listen to the guitar and the rest of the instruments in the background. Lamb Of God guitarist, Willie Adler, plays here too.

One of my favorite songs on the album.

 

7. Cold Blood by HEALTH & Lamb of God. Here it counts with the American groove metal band, Lamb of God, and it seems like it’s one of their songs. The instruments and Randy Blythe (L.O.G.’s singer) start, but in the chorus enters Jake and the song turns into a Health’s style.

Randy comes back and with him all the heaviness of L.O.G.

In the end, they sing together, and Randy growls.

The song ends with some great guitar riffs.

 

8. Ashamed. Relaxed vibe, mellow, dark, and a bit hypnotic.

 

9. Body/Prison by HEALTH & Perturbator.

Perturbator is a French electronic musician.
Electronic track with industrial sounds.

 

10. Judgement Night by HEALTH & Ghostemane.

Ghostemane is an American musician who mixes rap, industrial sounds, and metal. He raps and then Jake comes. Screams and industrial sounds. At the end, there’s a growl. I didn’t like this song.

 

Final Thoughts

 

This album, except for a couple of songs, is perfect to listen to as background music if you want to rest and relax.

I like the chill atmospheric vibe of the songs, but I don’t like that the voice is so light and low that it is almost inseparable from the rest of the instruments, it’s hard to listen to. I would like it would be easier to appreciate it since it’s soft and sweet, but I guess it’s appropriate to this genre of music, electronic, shoegaze. Yet, I’m not an expert on those styles, so I don’t know, it’s just my impression.

The lyrics, in general, are about hopelessness, loneliness, negativity, and depression, but the music is kind of upbeat.

 

Tracklist 

  1. The Drain by Bad Omens, HEALTH & SWARM  
  2. DSM-V 
  3. Dead Flowers by HEALTH & Poppy 
  4. Hateful (Ft. Sierra [FR]) 
  5. Feel Nothing
  6. Children of Sorrow 
  7. Cold Blood by HEALTH & Lamb of God
  8. Ashamed
  9. Body/Prison by HEALTH & Perturbator 
  10. Judgement Night by HEALTH & Ghostemane

 

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