Death Side’s second LP is their best by far - a huge evolution both in production quality and songwriting from their previous efforts. It sounds unique and so familiar at the same time: On one hand, you’ve got gang vocals, a driving d-beat, sick solos - on the other you’ve handfuls of unconventional interludes with weaving throughout from beginning to end, energetic melodies that sound like they’re as equally inspired by klezmer music as they are Discharge and Motörhead. Add in a 2 foot mohawk, inspiring lyrics in broken English and a cool album cover and you’ve got a stone cold classic that starts to feel more like the Burning Spirits sound than their previous releases. The album’s meticulous arrangement and pacing demand a full, sequential listening experience to fully appreciate its brilliance, as it progressively improves from Side A to Side B.
From start to finish, the record maintains an exhilarating intensity, epitomizing the “all killer and no filler” release: a striking balance of punk, hardcore, heavy metal and crust. There are both common sonic threads throughout; the album strategically employs interludes to alleviate listener fatigue, a notable improvement over the creeping monotony of their previous work, “Wasted Dream.” This is the apex of the Burning Spirits subgenre to me and many others. The album culminates in the epic 7-minute plus Crossfire, which closes the record out with the same “Intro ~ Meaning” melody that opens the record up.
I’ve had a bootleg with purple text instead of blue for a long time (2nd picture) - and it sounds muffled and bad. The Feral Ward release from 2015 has a gatefold sleeve. Lyric sheet would not past WCAG contrast ratio requirements with that blue on black text.