Showing Queercore is here to stay

Death Goals is a London-based chaotic-metalcore duo formed in 2017; they recently released A Garden of Dead Flowers. This album brings together elements of post-hardcore and emo to create a captivating and emotional listening experience. The band’s ability to seamlessly blend melodic guitar lines, pounding drums and emotive vocals is on full display throughout the album, making it an impressive record.

The opening track, “Genderless Clones Of Gameshow Hosts”, sets the tone for the album with its dynamic guitar riff and powerful drumming. The song’s lyrics deal with themes of acceptance and fighting inner demons to move on from past memories, and vocalist/guitarist Harry Bailey delivers them with raw emotion. The following track, “A Garden Of Dead Flowers” keeps the fast paced sound going with its catchy melody and introspective lyrics about feeling left out and disconnected from everyone else in the world.

As the album progresses, Death Goals continues to explore themes of pain, fear and acceptance through their music. “Loveless” is a standout track, with its catchy riffs and deep lyrical content that makes you feel loved and connected to the band. “Loveless” also gives that heavy breakdown we all long for.

“Death Goals In Cursive” is another highlight, featuring relatable lyrics and emotion that showcases Bailey’s talent to show us pain, regret and long for acceptance in their lyrics. One of the album’s strongest tracks is “Faux Macho” with the song’s catchy instrumentation and impassioned lyrics about feeling fake and suffocated by the norms of society. The band shows that everyone can be who they want to be without the judgment of others, which makes it a standout moment on the album.

Overall, A Garden of Dead Flowers is a solid album from Death Goals. The band’s ability to blend post-hardcore and emo influences in a way that feels fresh and authentic is impressive. While the album does delve into some familiar emo tropes, Death Goals manages to put their own spin on them, resulting in a memorable and emotionally resonant release. Fans of bands like Touché Amoré, La Dispute and Pianos Become the Teeth will find plenty to appreciate here.