Album Review: HEALTH – RAT WARS

Finding comfort in chaos

HEALTH, a rock band known for their work on the Cyberpunk 2077 and Max Payne 3 soundtracks, has come out with their sixth album RAT WARS. Containing elements of rock and EBM music, HEALTH combines the two to create a chaotic atmosphere. The record is quite nihilistic, but HEALTH’s funny social media presence suggests their music is a coping mechanism for living in a world full of tragedy. After all, the band has claimed Shadow the Hedgehog would be a fan of their music.

“DEMIGODS” opens the record with dark bass and a calm guitar solo. However, the background sounds both spooky and ethereal. Eventually, drums and cymbals are added to the mix to create an epic sound. Crunchy electric guitar is heard before the first verse and in the choruses, which sounds similar to Mick Gordon’s contributions to the DOOM soundtracks. Being that HEALTH has composed music for video games, it would be no surprise that they pull inspiration from Gordon. Jake Duzsik’s vocals are incredibly smooth and airy as he sings “Death shall come to the child in me / Did you want to know? / Or did you want the lie? / A long goodbye to what we had.” This track seems to be about grieving what could’ve been one’s childhood, which is a theme found throughout the album. Four and a half minutes in, the piece sonically shifts so that electronic qualities take over, making for an intense and serious sound. Subtle screaming can be heard in the background as synth dominates until electric guitar takes its place.

HEALTH’s talents in the realm of video game soundtracks shine through in “FUTURE OF HELL” and “HATEFUL [Feat. SIERRA].” The band’s talents not only lie in their lyricism, but their ability to effectively experiment with their sound. In both tracks, pounding bass takes center stage. The subtle jangling of metal, smacking percussive elements and edgier energy are similar to Grimes. In “HATEFUL,” the synth is impressively dynamic and capable of changing the vibe of the instrumentation. One moment, it’s screeching, the next it is heavily EDM leaning, while sometimes it’s sentimental and creates feelings of yearning for something better. The fourth track “(OF ALL ELSE)” is a continuation of the previous track. This piece evokes so much energy, creating opportunity for use in live shows to rev up the crowd; while also serving as a transition point which speaks to HEALTH’s showmanship.

The slowness of “UNLOVED” allows for the song’s message to shine through. Duzsik sings “I pretended to feel like you / I pretended to be like you” and “it was not my fault you were / unloved when you were a child.” Duzsik is clearly reckoning with emotions that come with pretending to be someone else, feeling responsible for other people’s feelings and the resentment that builds for who they did that for, that person. The guitar at the beginning of “CHILDREN OF SORROW” sounds like a slowed down and slightly pitched-up version of “E1M1” from DOOM mixed with more atmospheric elements in the background. A trap-inspired cymbal keeps beat and staccato strums of the guitar add vigor, while the bridge quiets down and Duzsik expresses the loneliness he feels. He sings “No one will ever know / That we’re here” before the song fades out and vanishes, which is symbolic of how he feels.

“(OF BEING BORN)” is the most stripped down song off the record. Duzsik’s vocals are accompanied by distorted synth and calming acoustic guitar as he contemplates how much he has left in him to keep going. He asks “How long left in me?” until soft bass mimicking an anxious heartbeat slides into the background. The record closes with “DON’T TRY.” The track starts with gentle, reverbed guitar and vocals until darker sounding synth comes in. This song is the most lyrically intimate, particularly the lines “I’ve been forced to remember / Everything I want to forget,” “Don’t try, years wasted” and “And thеre’s no way out.” An organ-like synth ultimately takes over but then distorts. The album closes with muted nature sounds, as if HEALTH is trying to softly introduce listeners back to reality.

HEALTH proves their lyrical aptitude and talents as noise rock/industrial artists in RAT WARS. This record provides listeners with comfort through chaos, which is at times needed to cope with reality.