Died – Less Life
Featuring Caio Brentar of Punk Revolution Now/Fire Man, Died is further composed of band members Ian White, Alex Geisel and Matthew Leichenger. Produced and “banned” in New York, NY, Less Life is the ultimate tribute to the underground rock scene of the 90’s, both in style and in spirit. Blending the realms of Slint, Fugazi, Unwound and Drive Like Jehu, Died stand on their own as remarkable musicians.
The songwriting through Less Life mostly relies on the conventions of post-hardcore math-rock, punk and noise-rock quite a bit. The formula runs amid in tracks such as Boxwood, Less is More and The Trial. There are many songs that stand on their own, though. The Daughters-inspired Wasted contains unfiltered, explosive energy. The song captures the raw, emotional power of the 90’s scene while simultaneously condensing an admirable amount into one minute. Oja de Macao is rather standard for the first half, though the creative compositions of the second half are incredibly admirable. Busy Man is where the album begins to cultivate its own personality and stand-alone from the competition; the walls of noise that elegantly amasses through the track is equally gritty and opulent. Lastly, the closer Died is both humerous, and genuinely impressive. The lengthy song structure and use of space is tremendous, as is the explosive finale.
Riffs on Less Life are imaginative and pure, while the execution of instruments is incredibly impressive. The methodical drumming is consistently tight, as is the ferocious guitar throughout. The album is about as good as a punk revival can get, though it’s sadly severely lacking in the innovation department. That’s not to say the band doesn’t sound distinct, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the album was recorded in the 90’s, buried in a time capsule, and unsurfaced today. If Died can incorporate a more distinct element, or perhaps blend in another complementary genre, they will certainly standout. There’s an undeniable amount of skill and passion present, and it’s going to be a long wait till their next album. Less Life comes with a high recommendation.
Really Good
Listen to it here:
Died – Less Life
