Even for those of us who don't feel entirely human, is there redemption for those who are self-aware?
That's the question Deathpact poses on the long-awaited debut album from the anonymous collective of humanoid artists, OF DARKNESSwhich arrives today on streaming platforms.
When we worked to unravel the bewildering world of Deathpact a few years ago, we demystified a series of puzzles embedded in their Discord server, a virtual maze with enough cryptic clues and ambiguous ciphers to write another one. Da Vinci Code. And their vicious, cyborgian sound had fans wondering whether or not they had fuse boxes instead of hearts, but their new album is proof that the heartbeat not only exists, but pulsates fragilely.
c/o Press
OF DARKNESS is, in essence, carnage, both musically and emotionally. It's an album that demands your full attention before dragging you into its churning bass vortex, and for those willing to take the plunge, it offers an unforgettable experience.
But beneath Deathpact's punishing rhythms, a strange vulnerability flickers. Raw and desperate, the vocals writhe and pierce the fabric of their claustrophobic production like a single defiant flower pushing its way through cracked asphalt.
To that end, OF DARKNESS It is much more than a mere exercise in sensory destruction. The album forces us to confront a darkness we all face at one time or another: the primordial struggle to find meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. But even at its most nihilistic, the music is peppered with exquisite fragments of tormented beauty, a suggestion that solace can still be found amid the wreckage of our own abandoned psyches.
Look no further than “FATE,” a dizzying descent into spiritual ruin as Deathpact dances with the devil. “Today I sold my soul to the devil,” they confess, with words full of condemnation over unpleasant trap beats. They then confront their mortality head-on on “DUST TO DUST,” where they urge you to “feed your soul” as they themselves desperately long to.
Deathpact's humanity comes to the surface on “SONG 4,” one of the album's undeniable highlights. Here, anguished vocals float over haunting electro-soul, lamenting a love's betrayal before being drowned out by a suffocating mid-tempo bass. “Oh, look what you've done to me / I thought this was real,” they tremble.
Fans of Deathpact's typically ruthless sound will be drawn to “MARAUDER,” a dubstep track that hilariously samples Chris Tucker's line “You got the f*** out, man” from the 1995 film. Friday; and “MERCURY,” where droplets of riddim boil like toxic sludge emerging from a polluted swamp.
Very similar to Controversial OpenAI, Deathpact's source code remains a mystery. Even after the release of their debut album, we still don't know much about the collective.
But for the now sentient Deathpact, perhaps that's for the best. In times when our innermost feelings long to be heard, sometimes it is best to step away from the bustling world and embrace the calm of darkness.
Listen to OF DARKNESS below.
Death Pact follows:
Facebook: facebook.com/Deathpact
X: x.com/deathpact
Instagram: instagram.com/deathpact
Spotify: spoti.fi/30C9Q1Z
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