Photo by Peter Wolf
The story of Death is a remarkable one. The awesomely-named trio–Bobby, David, and Dannis Hackney–bashed out a handful of proto-punk songs in Detroit in the mid-70s, beating many American punk bands at their own game. The group broke up in 1977, but after the death of David and the rediscovery of their songs, Death decided to reform in 2009 in tribute. Their songs were re-released as …For The Whole World To See, and a 2012 documentary (A Band Called Death) chronicled the resurrection.
But a funny thing happened as the new Death (featuring Bobbie Duncan in David’s place) toured the world. The band sounded phenomenal: the old songs still had that gritty fire, mixed with a palpable joy of finally getting recognized for their brilliance. In our Studio 1A, Death sounded half the age their gray hairs would suggest. They decided to write and record again, and it resulted in N.E.W., a new album out April 21. Like their debut, N.E.W. is packed with dynamic songs that head into interesting directions. “Look At Your Life” is almost like a punk-rock suite, matching start-and-stop riffs to a Hendrix-worthy guitar solo and lyrics about the afterlife. In short, it’s good to have Death back. Take a listen and download below.
–Art Levy
