For the duo's anticipated third album,
Scorpio Rising,
Death in Vegas has seemingly adopted the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude, once again drawing from elements of gritty rock, techno repetition, and spacy psychedelia. On first listen,
Scorpio Rising (the name is taken from a
Kenneth Anger film) feels overly monotonous, as nearly every song quickly finds its groove and sticks with it from start to finish with little variety in the process. However, multiple listens reveal that not only is
Scorpio Rising noticeably more upbeat overall than its gothic predecessor, but its diversity comes from the many genres and musical styles that it incorporates. It doesn't hurt either that the album also stars a new cast of guest musicians. Returning to the fold is
Dot Allison ("Diving Horses"), who is joined by the likes of
Mazzy Star's
Hope Sandoval ("Killing Smile" and "Help Yourself") and
Woodbine's
Susan Dillane ("Girls" and "23 Lies"), all of whom are delegated to contribute their breathy voices over lush psychedelic soundscapes for an effect that is reminiscent of
My Bloody Valentine.