Ironically enough, Californian industrial outfit HEALTH might just be extremely bad for you. The three-piece’s combination of bleak lyrical themes and pounding drum hits has always done a number of their fans’ necks, demanding headbanging at every turn: new record ‘CONFLICT DLC’ is no different. The sequel to 2023’s ‘RAT WARS’ is certifiably gnarly, even if it does play things needlessly safe in places— is result is infectious… and quite confusing.

Single ‘ORDINARY LOSS’ makes the group’s continued focus on slamming percussion and single-minded heft immediately apparent from the off: despite its melodic chorus, the song is a welcome return to the industrial electronic chaos the band have always been known for. Perhaps the greatest asset at the record’s disposal is its production, which balances in-your-face aggression and subtle adaptation very well. HEALTH have never been ones to write intricate guitar parts, and their newest outing is no exception— the heaviest passages on cuts like ‘BURN THE CANDLES’ and ‘SHRED ENVY’ are unfathomably simple at their core, mostly consisting of four-on-the-floor drum patterns and repeated syncopated chugging from the guitars and bass. It’s the way these ideas are presented to us— with every sound forced to rub shoulders, almost claustrophobic— that keeps us returning to CONFLICT DLC. On ‘ORDINARY LOSS,’ every drum hit is as stark as a gunshot and every synth is as clear as glass.

The industrial crescendos across the record don’t bring all-too much in the way of variety, and the album can suffer for it: at points, it feels like HEALTH are going through the motions, churning out some overly safe material to fill out a new release. Still, their formula is a successful one, and it’s hard to deny how effective that combination of rumbling textures and dystopian atmospheres can be in places. The groaning kick drums and rising tension of ‘BURN THE CANDLES’ make for a song packed with momentum, especially given how the track continues to build and build in intensity and volume (long past when any other band would’ve petered out). Indeed, most of the highlights across CONFLICT DLC come when HEALTH take full advantage of their industrial roots, cranking the distortion and the agony up in equal measure. ‘DARKAGE’ proves this perfectly, using its cinematic presentation to excuse some otherwise barebones writing— it’s a far cry from the thumping rhythms of ‘SHRED ENVY’ and the wide-open soundstage used on ‘YOU DIED,’ which are both more successful approaches. Given the choice though, it’s twisted closer ‘WASTED YEARS’ that takes the cake, ending the record with some pure industrial chaos.

The more interesting aspect of ‘CONFLICT DLC,’ though, is the strangely artificial cloak it wraps itself in. The record deals in weighty themes of mental health, clearly coming right from the heart: it’s an intriguing choice, then, to hear HEALTH delivering such lines as “I don’t want to kill myself but I don’t want to live this way” in such a passive tone of voice. Jake Duzsik’s vocals are near-emotionless across the entire record, going through a chain that strips them of any warmth or character: the result is not unlike Radiohead’s ‘Fitter Happier,’ where the mixture of an artificial speaker and intensely human language is ultimately uncomfortable. HEALTH give no indication as to whether the effect is intentional, or a byproduct of the electronic textures they choose to employ— regardless, the result is an album that ultimately feels far more passive than you might first assume, given its volume. For all the chugging guitars and furious drumming on offer here, the record does have a tendency to settle into the background, and not just because these twelve tracks aren’t particularly diverse: for all it does right, ‘CONFLICT DLC’ has us scratching our heads more than simply enjoying its industrial madness.

HEALTH are a puzzling band, and their newest release has proven particularly hard to pin down: like looking at a party through the window, the album is staggeringly intense, yet ultimately feels very distant. Whether you’ll find the combination enthralling or repulsive is hard to say— for us, the best we can offer is to admit that the record’s unique style has been drawing us back to it. For the tried-and-true industrial riffs of songs like ‘BURN THE CANDLES’ and ‘SHRED ENVY’ alone, ‘CONFLICT DLC’ should turn heads: looking at the record more holistically, that recommendation feels a little harder to give.