Deathline International’s anticipated newest release, Pax Americana, is a nice, comfortabole mid-tempo ride. It never rushes to get where it’s going but you enjoy the journey just the same.
Spin Zone is a strong opener that’s both dark and a party jam at the same time. And I thought the Andy Griffith sample was a nice touch.
In fact, spoken-word samples permeate this whole album, giving it a classic old-school industrial feel. But if anyone has a right to get old-school it’s producer John Fryer. When Fryer wasn’t making seminal electronic music, he was in the room. These throwback elements don’t seem tired and remain fresh in Fryer’s hands.
‘Inside’ has a nice balance between clean and distorted vocals and also has one of the catchier choruses on the record, IMO.
The minimal opening to ‘Lip Service’ harkens back to somewhere between 1990s Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails before going into a crunchy power ballad.
‘Born Again’ has the most memorable line with the repeated chanting of, “God loves what you hate.” Also a very catchy chorus.
‘In Deb Staub’ Is the most danceable song of the bunch with smooth synths delivered over a pounding beat, crunchy guitars and an Ogre-esque vocal delivery.
‘Sinking’ is a slow jam with lead vocalist Th3Count doing his best Roger Waters and is a great example of DI’s eclectic style before closing nicely with ‘Quiet’.
Old-school rivetheads will love this record because it’s a nice reminder of what we all love about industrial rock. It’s also a great starting point for newbies who want to dive head first into what’s current.
https://deathlineinternational.bandcamp.com/album/pax-americana