Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
It is a gift, an attitude of passion, that gets you up in the morning and makes you want to set the heavens on fire, that believes the stars are there for the taking and whether it is for the purposes of light or the nefarious shade, one cannot argue with the determination and drive exhibited by some to achieve their goal.
The boundary between light and dark though is where perhaps the more interesting details of life merge and coalesce, it is where the experimental is found to be stimulating, where the curious face their demons and turn them into playthings for Gods to enjoy, and where the annotations of the one shrouded in the deepest cowl can only marvel and tip his trilby at the positivity displayed; at the growl put on notice.
The new release. by The Death Notes, The Black E.P., is the creation of the stimulating growl at the back of the mind, and one in which the dynamic of the band comes alive as the fans would expect, but also openly takes that stranger that walks amongst us, sad in its duty and manner of execution, and shows the world that there is nothing to be scared of by living for the absolute. The space in between dark and light is not some realm of mixed emotions, a conflict of arms between the supposed good and evil, it is just a place where the music that leads you to smile and rejoice is magnified and enriching.
Following on from the 2016 release of The White E.P., Nottingham’s The Death Notes once again find themselves knocking down walls and barriers in pursuit of the great hook and devilishly inspired lyric; a sense of proportion always in hand, and the sword of truth ready to slay down the oppressors, The Death Notes reach out and pull the listener in without a murmur of complaint or objection.
In the songs Gift of Fear, Evolver, Closer To The Truth, Syncretize and Theme, The Death Notes soar into that once thought void between dark and light and make it mysteriously magical, the growl of Time and voice perfectly matched, undeniably echoed with a proclamation so bold that it tears down the walls of indifference and apathy with its bare, muscular hands.
This is the beauty of The Death Notes, one of liberation, one that is enhanced in The Black E.P. and gives notice that this band is ready to take on all on either side of chaotic relief.
The Death Notes release The Black E.P. on August 3rd.
Ian D. Hall