Death Magic
{{Infobox album
| name = Death Magic
| type = studio
| artist = Health
| cover = HEALTH - Death Magic.png
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2015|8|7}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = {{hlist|Electro-industrial|EBM|electropunk|noise rock|synthpop}}
| length = {{duration|m=39|s=30}}
| label = Loma Vista
| producer = {{hlist|Andrew Dawson|The Haxan Cloak|Justin Raisen|Lars Stalfors}}
| prev_title = Health::Disco2
| prev_year = 2010
| next_title = Disco3
| next_year = 2017
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Death Magic
| type = studio
| single1 = New Coke
| single1date = April 24, 2015{{cite web |url=https://us.7digital.com/artist/health/release/new-coke-1/ |title=NEW COKE (2015) {{!}} Health |website=7digital |location=United States |accessdate=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223073650/https://us.7digital.com/artist/health/release/new-coke-1/ |archive-date=December 23, 2015}}
| single2 = Stonefist
| single3 = Men Today
}}
}}
Death Magic is the third studio album by American noise rock band Health. It was released by Loma Vista Recordings on August 7, 2015, six years after the band's previous album, Get Color.{{cite web |last=Cohen |first=Ian |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/9630-game-over-health-finish-first-album-in-six-years/ |title=Game Over: HEALTH Finish First Album in Six Years |website=Pitchfork |date=April 20, 2015 |accessdate=December 22, 2015}}
Background and recording
After their last main album Get Color in 2009, Health was hired by Rockstar Games to work on the soundtrack for Max Payne 3. During the production of that album, they refined their production style; this combined with lengthy touring and "perfectionist" tendencies lead to a hiatus from non-soundtrack work.
The band intended to make a "modern rock record" driven by sonic experimentation and distinct from their previous work. Inspired by their soundtrack work and their Disco remix albums, they decided to take their next album in a more electronically-influenced direction, being partially inspired by genres such as intelligent dance music and artists such as Burial. However, the prevalence on instrumental passages on Max Payne lead the band to avoid including many in Death Magic.
They initially intended to produce with Rockstar's Woody Jackson, but eventually worked with Andrew Dawson, who had produced albums for Kanye West. Additionally, some tracks were produced by British electronic musician The Haxan Cloak and Lars Stalfors.
Composition
Death Magic features more electronic instrumentation than Health's earlier work. It was characterised by reviewers as melding Health's previous noise rock with greater elements of melody and pop music-esque composition.
Reception
{{Album ratings
| MC = 73/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/death-magic/health |title=Reviews for Death Magic by HEALTH |website=Metacritic |accessdate=August 4, 2015}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |last=Phares |first=Heather |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/death-magic-mw0002853472 |title=Death Magic – HEALTH |website=AllMusic |accessdate=December 22, 2015}}
| rev2 = The A.V. Club
| rev2Score = A−{{cite web |last=Warwick |first=Kevin |url=https://www.avclub.com/review/healths-primal-noise-assault-morphs-mass-experimen-223086 |title=Health's primal noise assault morphs into a mass of experimental electro rock |work=The A.V. Club |date=August 7, 2015 |accessdate=August 7, 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807211141/https://www.avclub.com/review/healths-primal-noise-assault-morphs-mass-experimen-223086|archivedate=7 August 2015|url-status=dead}}
| rev3 = Clash
| rev3Score = 8/10{{cite web |last=O'Malley |first=Gareth |url=http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/health-death-magic |title=HEALTH – DEATH MAGIC |work=Clash |date=August 11, 2015 |accessdate=December 22, 2015}}
| rev4 = Consequence of Sound
| rev4Score = C{{cite web |last=Kivel |first=Adam |url=https://consequence.net/2015/07/album-review-health-death-magic |title=HEALTH – Death Magic |website=Consequence of Sound |date=July 31, 2015 |accessdate=August 4, 2015}}
| rev5 = NME
| rev5Score = 8/10{{cite web |last=Bassett |first=Jordan |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/health/16193 |title=HEALTH – 'Death Magic' |work=NME |date=July 29, 2015 |accessdate=August 4, 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807231153/http://www.nme.com/reviews/health/16193 |archivedate=August 7, 2015}}
| rev6 = The Observer
| rev6Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite web |last=Mardles |first=Paul |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/09/health-death-magic-review-dated-and-attention-seeking |title=Health: Death Magic review – dated and attention-seeking |work=The Observer |date=August 9, 2015 |accessdate=December 22, 2015}}
| rev7 = Pitchfork
| rev8 = PopMatters
| rev8Score = {{Rating|7|10}}{{cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Colin |url=https://www.popmatters.com/review/196254-health-death-magic/ |title=HEALTH: Death Magic |website=PopMatters |date=August 12, 2015 |accessdate=December 22, 2015}}
| rev9 = Sputnikmusic
}}
Death Magic received a score of 73 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on twenty-two critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Kevin Warwick of The A.V. Club praised its "electronic and industrial mystique", describing the album as "injected with a serum of growth hormones". PopMatters{{'}}s Colin Fitzgerald said it was a "more open and expressive version" of Health, and Jordan Bassett of NME said that band "finally know[s] what they want".
Pitchfork{{'}}s T. Cole Rachel called it a "bold, albeit occasionally jarring, step forward", saying that the more vulnerable tone in tracks like "Life" was "exhilarating and perverse". Clash magazine called the "battle between melody and noise" "fascinating". Rudy K. of Sputnikmusic praised Duzsik's "lighthouse"-like voice, stating that his vocals' newfound prominence was a "smart choice".
AllMusic's Heather Phares praised the album, but noted that fans of the band's earlier work could be "disappointed by the preponderance of hooks and emotion". Reviewer Adam Kivel of Consequence of Sound described the album as having a "sleeker focus" but the percussion as "sapped of strength and energy". In a more negative review by The Observer, Paul Mardles wrote that Death Magic was "dated" and "attention-seeking" and called Health "eternal sixth-formers – disgruntled and as if unsure what it is they want to say".
Track listing
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| total_length = 39:30
| title1 = Victim
| writer1 = {{hlist|Jacob Duzsik|John Famiglietti|Jupiter Keyes|Bobby Krlic}}
| extra1 = {{hlist|The Haxan Cloak|Lars Stalfors{{ref|a|[a]}}}}
| length1 = 2:00
| title2 = Stonefist
| writer2 = {{hlist|Benjamin Miller|Duzsik|Famiglietti|Keyes|Stalfors}}
| extra2 = {{hlist|Stalfors|Andrew Dawson{{ref|a|[a]}}}}
| length2 = 3:24
| title3 = Men Today
| writer3 = {{hlist|Miller|Duzsik|Famiglietti|Keyes}}
| extra3 = {{hlist|Dawson|Stalfors{{ref|a|[a]}}}}
| length3 = 2:03
| title4 = Flesh World (UK)
| writer4 = {{hlist|Miller|Duzsik|Famiglietti|Keyes|Stalfors}}
| extra4 = {{hlist|Stalfors|Dawson{{ref|b|[b]}}}}
| length4 = 3:54
| title5 = Courtship II
| extra5 = {{hlist|Dawson|Stalfors{{ref|b|[b]}}}}
| length5 = 3:35
| title6 = Dark Enough
| writer6 = {{hlist|Miller|Duzsik|Famiglietti|Keyes|Stalfors}}
| extra6 = {{hlist|Stalfors|Dawson{{ref|b|[b]}}}}
| length6 = 3:42
| title7 = Life
| writer7 = {{hlist|Miller|Duzsik|Famiglietti|Keyes|Stalfors|Dawson|Justin Raisen}}
| extra7 = {{hlist|Stalfors|Dawson{{ref|a|[a]}}|Raisen{{ref|a|[a]}}}}
| length7 = 3:53
| title8 = Salvia
| writer8 = {{hlist|Miller|Duzsik|Famiglietti|Keyes|Stalfors}}
| extra8 = {{hlist|Dawson|Stalfors}}
| length8 = 1:48
| title9 = New Coke
| writer9 = {{hlist|Miller|Duzsik|Famiglietti|Keyes|Stalfors}}
| extra9 = {{hlist|Stalfors|Dawson{{ref|b|[b]}}}}
| length9 = 3:39
| title10 = L.A. Looks
| writer10 = {{hlist|Duzsik|Famiglietti|Keyes|Stalfors|Amanda Warner}}
| extra10 = Stalfors
| length10 = 3:24
| title11 = Hurt Yourself
| writer11 = {{hlist|Miller|Duzsik|Famiglietti|Keyes}}
| extra11 = {{hlist|Dawson|Stalfors{{ref|b|[b]}}}}
| length11 = 4:10
| title12 = Drugs Exist
| writer12 = {{hlist|Duzsik|Famiglietti|Keyes|Stalfors}}
| extra12 = {{hlist|Dawson|Stalfors{{ref|b|[b]}}}}
| length12 = 3:52
}}
Notes
- {{sup|{{note|a|a}}}} signifies a co-producer
- {{sup|{{note|b|b}}}} signifies an additional producer
Personnel
=Health=
- Jacob Duzsik
- John Famiglietti
- Jupiter Keyes
- Benjamin Miller
=Additional personnel=
- The Haxan Cloak – production {{small|(track 1)}}
- Lars Stalfors – co-production {{small|(tracks 1, 3)}}; production {{small|(tracks 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10)}}; additional production {{small|(tracks 5, 8, 11, 12)}}; mixing {{small|(all tracks)}}
- Andrew Dawson – co-production {{small|(tracks 2, 7)}}; production {{small|(tracks 3, 5, 8, 11, 12)}}
- Justin Raisen – co-production {{small|(track 7)}}
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
- John Famiglietti – art direction
- Andrew Pham – design
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2015)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|BillboardHeatseekers|5|artist=Health|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 22, 2015}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardAlternative|24|artist=Health|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 10, 2016}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardTastemaker|23|artist=Health|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 10, 2016}} |
References
{{Reflist|refs=
{{cite web |last1=Payne |first1=Chris |title=HEALTH’s ‘Death Magic’: How a Noise Band, Haxan Cloak & Kanye’s Engineer Made 2015’s Coolest Heavy Album |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/health-death-magic-haxan-cloak-interview-kanye-west-yeezus-andrew-dawson-lars-stalfors-6648530/ |website=Billboard |access-date=27 July 2024 |date=30 July 2015}}
}}
{{Health (band)}}
{{Authority control}}