While the queer community have rarely had moments of rest between fighting for their rights, the last few years have been increasingly exhausting. Enter queercore duo Death Goals and their latest EP Survival Is An Act Of Defiance, bringing together their uniquely unhinged brand of mathcore inspired rage with a collection of some of the scene’s most important voices for a timely and cathartic celebration of community resistance.
Despite guitarist Harry Bailey and drummer George Milner flying through the EPs five tracks, Survival Is An Act Of Defiance punches well above its weight, making a huge impact with just a few minutes of screams and panic chords. Opening track ‘Kill With Kindness’ throws a barrage of clashing distorted riffs and blast beats at the listener with Bailey’s usual demented screams bolstered by Harry Nott of underground heavyweights Burner and their deep, throat ripping growls. If anyone were to blindly stumble upon Survival Is An Act Of Defiance then ‘Kill With Kindness’ would act as a perfect primer for the rest of the EP with its lightning fast pace and pre-breakdown mosh call of “your God doesn’t love you”.
“If anyone were to blindly stumble upon Survival Is An Act Of Defiance then ‘Kill With Kindness’ would act as a perfect primer for the rest of the EP”
While much of Survival Is An Act Of Defiance is about as subtle as a steam train crashing through your living room Death Goals do find time for a few moments of restraint amongst the uncontrollable storm. The third track on the EP ‘Even An Empire Can Burn’ replaces the driving percussion and discordant guitars with an industrial soundscape with Cainhurst vocalist Ewan Benwell delivering a fiery soliloquy on the power of queer love and community against those who try and oppress them. Although only lasting about 40 seconds ‘Even An Empire Can Burn’ breaks up the EP’s wild distorted aggression with a moment of clarity, distilling the piece’s message into a clear and concise soundbite.
Ranging from post-hardcore and mathcore to industrial and noise rock, Death Goals manage to cram an album’s worth of sounds into less than fifteen minutes of runtime, closing track ‘Survival Is An Act Of Defiance’ sprints through a number of different sounds without ever feeling disjointed. From doomy guitar chugs to hardcore squeals, from understated spoken word vocals to demented screams from Victim Unit’s Lotta Ridgely, the closing title track throws everything Death Goals have at their disposal into a cathartic anthem ready to be screamed in solidarity from every independent venue in the country.
Rejuvenating the message of love and community that runs through much of their work at a time when so many people are struggling, Death Goals use their latest EP Survival Is An Act Of Defiance to bring the queercore scene together and deliver some hope through their angriest and most relevant piece yet.