Release Date: 11 December 2025
Song Count: 12
Rating: 6.7/10
Description:
(Note: Written and reviewed past midnight.)
As a result of me making a streaming platform collection of the highlight songs from all of the albums I have reviewed over the course of this challenge, I got this album recommended ruthlessly around the platform and the "You May Also Like" section, so here we are. Health is an industrial rock band from Los Angeles that has been in the scene slowly rising to recognition for 20 years now, have had a breakout song in the form of a remix of "Crimewave" by Crystal Candles, and have had a hand in making songs for several well-known video games, including Ultrakill and Cyberpunk 2077. This newest album is considered a sort of continuation of their previous full release, Rat Wars, from two years prior, and follows a similar sonical style of industrial metal elements combined with electronic mixing.
Reverbed, tonally mostly unwavering vocals with occassionally altering singing styles - such as metal growls and yells - sweep over all of the tracks as the instrumentals behind them implement distorted electric guitars and consistent, machine-like industrial drumming into a very stylised sort of chopping, mixing and production to create an experimental audial palette that yet carries some amount of potential wider appeal within it. An artsy and alternative album that is marketable to a very specific and certain audience who would enjoy this type of music, Conflict DLC offers a highly sought-after sound with its twelve tracks that speaks to the wish for angst and grit of many younger listeners and takes elements from their previous work and, in the words of some, "purificating" them to get them to sound more natural, emotionally expressive and "fun" to listen to.
This type of song, while widely appealing and simultaneously creative enough to stand up on its own two feet, is also one that the album is shy to stray away from in any way, causing a lot of tracks to sound very similar to one-another and even blend into one-another, which as a factor making it tough to make out particular highlight tracks within it. With a wider catalogue of songs for its length, Conflict DLC could have used with some additional experimentation, variety and willingness to make each song seem particularly special amongst the others; though a struggle many acts may have trouble with, it is very possible to circumvent whilst also keeping the signature sound and "magic" of the well-struck balance between sounding widely listenable even to those unfamiliar with more niche corners of music and having enough going on to make a name in the scenes where underground genres and sounds are more welcomed and appreciated.
While a good work overall, Conflict DLC lacks a certain tinge to make it truly stand out as an alternative, moody, emotional and rich album with many kinds of tracks to offer. Part of this may come with repeated listening and time, but there is only so much that can "grow" with a lot of albums, so whether or not this one will manage to do so is a question one can only answer far later down the line. Still, Health has done a remarkable job refining their soundscape from previous works into something likeable and hard-hitting, and seem to be rightfully proud of their efforts, so the final verdict is: good on them for their improvements!