Death From Above edge further toward the dancefloor

The bands resurrection a few years ago with second full-length The Physical World kept it loud and chaotic, but also trimmed the fat, refining things in the production area and just generally becoming slicker. It was a reunion backed with fierce excitement and they lived up to expectation with the same thumping velocity.

It’s a relief for fans then, that the band have dropped a third record so swiftly after the last. From singles like “Freeze Me” it becomes clear that they’re edging even further into dance territory with the keyboard leading the way and the guitars falling in after. It’s the sound of a pair eager to move into a new direction on album number three and you have to say that this dynamic is working for them.

They prove throughout the course of this record that you don’t need to rely on car-crash guitars to create a sense of havoc, yet they are still happy to fall back on their trademark thrash sections when it’s required. The best example of such a moment is the album opener “Nomad” which is a snarling and frantic effort which stays true to their sweaty live roots. Although this duo will always be taken as a serious band, there’s a definite sense of playfulness and experimentation here.

Death From Above might have pulled their brand of wreckage rock even further towards the dance floor with this, yet it still manages to further the rawness and execution they’ve become so mythical for. Most of all they feel like a band without any limits here.