Album review: Death Pill – Sologamy

Scattered across the world by Russia’s invasion, Ukraine's Death Pill have faced more challenges than most bands trying to follow a well-received debut. Certainly, working on new music via Zoom while one of their number dealt with air raids and blackouts in Kyiv must have been a terrifying struggle. However, bombs and distance haven’t halted the trio’s determination to push their sound in new directions.

Sologamy starts in familiar territory with the thrashing madness of Listen To Me Sister and Haters Gonna Hate’s crossover attack, while single Craterface is the most potent distillation of their metallic impulses. But as the album progresses, it becomes evident that there is much more going on this time around.

Not all of Death Pill’s horizon-broadening proves effective. Indie-flavoured vocals make Don’t Say It So feel inessential, while Monsters (In My Brain)’s study of mental health suffers from overdone quirkiness. Much better are the melodic swagger of the catchy Phone Call and Hey, Man, while the real surprises come with Sologamy’s two closing tracks.

On Outro – actually the penultimate piece here – there’s a beguiling folky quality to guitarist Mariana Navrotska’s vocals, while the music finds Death Pill at their most unexpectedly progressive. This leads into the piano and acoustic guitar opening of Pro Yarika, amping up the fragile splendour before flipping into hardcore rage for the record’s finale.

Significantly, only these tunes appear to deal with the conflict raging in their home country. Instead, Sologamy’s lyrics explore different emotional states and the necessity of self-care. In its own way, this record’s refusal to allow aggression to dominate their agenda is as much a middle finger to Putin as a clutch of anti-war songs would have been. In life and in music, Death Pill remain defiant and thrillingly unpredictable.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Petrol Girls, Blood Command, Kvelertak

Sologamy is out now via New Heavy Sounds