On the second part of
HEALTH's ambitious collaborative project, the Los Angeles trio works with another wide array of artists. Where
Disco4, Pt. 1 found them trading sounds and ideas with primarily indie and electronic acts that included
100 gecs,
Xiu Xiu, and
Soccer Mommy,
DISCO4 :: Pt. II's guest list is dominated by artists from the worlds of metal, industrial, and rap. As in the first part of the project, this collection lets all the parties involved stretch their artistic muscles a bit. While
HEALTH have never been a one-trick pony, they've evolved from a noise-rock outfit into something just as cathartic but with more shades in their music. They take listeners on a wild ride as they further explore sounds they might allude to on their own albums, while keeping the themes they do so well -- disgust at the world, heartache, and self-loathing -- front and center. They're also gracious collaborators who easily balance their approach with those of their guests on tracks as different as the brooding
Poppy duet "Dead Flowers," or "Cold Blood," a dark and frenzied team-up with
Lamb of God. This feeling of creative give and take applies to every track, whether
HEALTH's guest stars are famous or deep in the underground. "Isn't Everyone," their seething collab with
Nine Inch Nails, balances
Trent Reznor's snarl and Jake Duzsik's insistent whispers ably, while "Murder Death Kill" puts the deranged screams of Black Dresses' Ada Rook and the raw-throated delivery of
Denzel Curry associate
Playthatboizay up front, with Duzsik providing moody backing vocals.
DISCO4 :: Pt. II's other forays into rap and hip-hop also work remarkably well and span a number of approaches, from the zombie-like crawl of the
Backxwash and
Ho99o9-featuring "Gnostic Flesh/Mortal Hell" to the mournful post-punk-meets-hip-hop fusion of "Still Breathing" with
EKKSTACY.
HEALTH's collaborations with artists closer to their own wheelhouse provide several more of
DISCO4 :: Pt. II's highlights. These include the dead-of-night throb of "Excess," which features
Perturbator (the only guest artist to appear on both volumes of the Disco4 project), the destroyed majesty of "AD 1000" with
the Body, and "The Joy of Sect," a team-up with
Street Sects that pushes
HEALTH's version of heartbroken synth pop to its prettiest and ugliest extremes. When Duzsik and company finish
DISCO4 :: Pt. II with the surging solo track "These Days 2.0.2.1.," they complete an impressive project that brings illuminating new perspectives to their music -- and perhaps some more artists to their listeners' attention. ~ Heather Phares