There’s literally not a dull moment to be found here, every track is lean and expertly written, averting a moment’s hesitation and keeping you in it from start to finish. Vol. 4 :: Slaves of Fear is a career-defining achievement that proves patience and planning can hold rewards.
On their newest album, Vol. 4 :: Slaves of Fear, this amalgamation also results in HEALTH's most ominous, brooding, and diverse effort yet—and consequently their best.
Slaves of Fear isn’t perfect, but then I’m not sure it’s trying to be. It’s all over the place, but is also strangely connected. It’s good, just leave me alone now - I need a lie down.
Sometimes, Vol. 4 :: Slaves of Fear feels almost too successful at what it sets out to do, but as bleak as it gets, there's something special about its empathy and honesty.
With each album, edition of DISCO or video game soundtrack, they improve on their own formula, becoming a more cunning machine. Not bad for a band that started in such a primal state.
We might not be living in the futuristic world we were once promised just yet, but we can still rely on HEALTH to push music out of its present-day comfort zone.
The endless sense of melodrama robs the record of its potency, the impact of that pounding sonic template diminished through its constancy. The sense of doom is familiar, the sound of the band’s new record even more so.
HEALTH used to make lithe, multifaceted songs that wrapped daring pop melodies in bristling noise; now, they seem content to complain into a murky hybrid of trip-hop and metal.