Throw my calendar into the fire.
Richmond, VA-based .gif from god (or DOTGIFFROMGOD) form part of the recent so-called “sasscore revival”. 2019 debut full length Approximation_of_a_human demonstrated great capacity for tearing things properly apart. Frantic and mildly eclectic, the album was followed by over 3 years of silence before this new EP: Digital Red.
Spaced out in that rot-stricken room,
The embers whisper,
Dreams of sleep make way,
We’ll shine then burn.
Sole single “a kiss for every hornet” accurately displays the destruction Digital Red serves to bring to the table. Devastating and forward, it also shows off the band’s mathcore sensibilities. Any fans of screamo will certainly perk their ears upon hearing this single, and it acts as a worthy taste of what to expect with the EP at large. Notably, however, this track does include the only piano outro found here.
Electronic interlude “youth medium child psychic” notwithstanding, much of the EP continues in a similar formula. Opener “knife goes in, guts come out” blows the door wide open with savage panic chords giving way to a stuttering cacophony of noise, for instance.
Described as “anxious music written during a particularly anxious period of time“, this release pours it on across its length. Juxtaposed by titles like “the cow’s meow” and “meat_man meets man“, cognitive dissonance proves inevitable. These kinds of choices help buoy the overall feel and substance.
By closer “dream features”, the listener might feel a bit ravaged despite the sub-twenty minute runtime. Naturally, this is a feature, not a bug. Slightly longer tracks than their standard fare create more time to develop ideas and stand out within the larger schema of the EP. Digital Red packs a mighty punch despite a smaller package.
8.5/10
Digital Red comes out this Friday, March 3 on Prosthetic Records and can be pre-ordered here.