| Band: | HEALTH |
| Release: | Conflict DLC |
| Genre: | Industrial |
| Country: | America |
| Release Date: | 12th of December, 2025 |
| Released via | Loma Vista Recordings |
¡Feliz Jueves!
HEALTH are back with an add-on to 2023’s Rat Wars. In contrast to the more experimental albums DISCO 4 Parts I and II, said album was an evolution towards a more accessible Industrial sound. It was beat driven and the trademarks of HEALTH were articulated more clearly than ever. Since the release of Rat Wars HEALTH toured non-stop with very big names like Slipknot, Sleep Token and Deftones. Even more people were exposed to them during their festival treks. While doing this the urge grew to write songs with more “firepower” (Johnny Health). Conflict DLC is the result of this.
Interessante
Conflict DLC is, like the appendix “DLC” suggests an expansion / extension of Rat Wars-sound. Together, these two records combined form a great HEALTH double-album, two sides of a coin that has kick-ass HEALTH on the one and moody HEALTH on the other side. Produced again by Ajay Bhattacharyya and mixed by Knocked Loose producer WZRD BLD (Drew Fulk) alongside Lars Stalfors it sounds like the perfect balance between neon and concrete.
Conflict DLC is more Rammstein or KMFDM than Nine Inch Nails or Depeche Mode. Take songs like “Vibe Cop” or “Shred Envy” and you get Rammstein on heavy chemicals without row zero allegations. “Trash Decade” is as pumping as “Feel Nothing” or “Stone Fist“. Fuel for the clubs to drain you of sweat.
But there is also the atmospheric and moody side of HEALTH. “Antidote” is the perfect soundtrack to the Ryan Gosling Bladerunner 2049 meme (the one with the band-aid on the nose). “You died” captures the same kind of feeling with a little more punch to it.
No Dogashitera
Conflict DLC is a superb continuation of Rat Wars. Like a video-game-character-build it focuses on its main strengths and adds even more perks and traits to it. It was the goal to write more “firepower”-material and HEALTH succeeded with Conflict DLC in HEALTH-fashion. Nearly every track here is good enough to be a single. This is the sound of typical HEALTH in its most condensed form: beats for your buttocks, guitars for your guts and melancholy for your mind.
