Delivers everything from saccharine-sweet to wailing hellbeast
Released on 30 March 2018 and reviewed by Allan Jones
Die So Fluid are one of those bands who’ve seemingly been around for ages. Formed in London in 2000, One Bullet From Paradise is their Pledgemusic-funded fifth album. But getting here’s been a rough time for vocal/bassist Georgina ‘Grog’ Lisee and guitarist Drew Richards in the last few years, following the death of drummer Al Fletcher in 2016 from double pneumonia followed by sepsis hot on the tails on the evaporation of their record label in 2014 (and with that their tour and financial backing) and the still unsolved disappearance of their long-time manager.
Many lesser bands would have given up, especially given the loss of such an integral (and a Grammy-award winner, no less) part of their sound. However, after taking some time out, Grog and Mr Drew decided to continue, and roped in Justin Bennett of Skinny Puppy and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult fame to fill in some pretty big shoes. It also saw the separate recording of each of the parts for the first time in the band’s history, too – Grog in LA, Mr Drew in London, and Justin in Bologna. Given all of this, I have to admit to some nervousness on my part – in the face of such adversity and separation, could Die So Fluid pull this off?
Hell yeah.
Coming through the tough times has given them a harder-hitting, leaner, faster attack in what they do. Lyrics are a little more pointed, and there’s not a filler track to be seen anywhere. They describe this as a more ‘resolute and tenacious phase’ in the band’s evolution, and it comes through in the music. And the music…
This time around, there’s more diversity on offer than with previous albums. You’ll get everything from upbeat goth-pop in the form of ‘Bittersweet’ through balladic beauty with ‘Farewell’, from the softly flowing ‘Skeleton Suit’ with it’s almost jazzy, swing feel through to the radio friendly ‘Uncomplicated’. It’s a tour-de-force and you keep wanting to listen to the next track to see what’s going to turn up. Grog still delivers her trademark social commentary, and her acid tongue delivers everything from saccharine-sweet to wailing hellbeast with apparent ease, and Mr Drew’s guitar work is delivering the perfect backing while Justin’s work on the sticks perfectly complements them.
A word, also, for the bundled live album – most bands would have released this as a standalone, so to get something of this quality as a bonus disc is phenomenal. It captures the live essence of the band perfectly, and it seems a fitting tribute to Al, too, to have the band captured in fine form for posterity.
Overall, then – a fantastic album from a fantastic band that serves to underline the fact that no matter what life throws at you, you can always rise above it and show the world what you’re made of. Die So Fluid have risen above everything that could so easily have dragged them down, and instead turned it into a phenomenally accomplished album.
Track list:
- humanUnkind
- Tomorrow Doesn’t Always Come
- Bittersweet
- No More Stars
- Skeleton Suit
- We Were Born To Kill Each Other
- Manifest
- Uncomplicated
- One Bullet From Paradise
- Farewell
- It’s a Terrible Thing When Your Mind Goes
