Blind Equation are a unique sounding band to say the least, led by songwriter, singer and producer James McHenry’s manic, screaming vocals and 8-bit, retro video game inspired synths and combining grindcore, extreme metal, chiptune and even hyperpop. A natural progression of the sounds of artists like The Locust or HEALTH, Blind Equation bring crushing brutality to speedrun Undertale to.
Despite being, what at first glance might seem like a gimmicky, one-trick Nintendocore album, Death Awaits jumps between genres masterfully, seamlessly blending all of its differing influences to keep itself fresh. Many of the tracks, like the opening title track fly out of the gate with a barrage of retro synths and intricate, barbarous drums alongside McHenry’s screeching, extreme vocals, however, under this brutal bleep-bloop facade, Blind Equation manage to create some real sonic depth. It’s the little touches that really set Death Awaits apart, for example on the track You Betrayed The Ones You Loved the use of 100 Gecs style ultra-processed clean vocals contrasting with McHenry’s extreme screams or the layering of drum & bass style programmed drums with recorded ones. These subtle changes to the formula keep, what could be a fairly predictable album, interesting.
“under this brutal bleep-bloop facade, Blind Equation manage to create some real sonic depth”
The album’s lead single Never Getting Better is a highlight, with its pulsating 8-bit synths, ferocious blast beats and anthemic, emo inspired chorus. Despite its more aggressive elements, Never Getting Better feels refreshingly mainstream, with a traditional pop song structure, building itself around a memorable, sing-along chorus with both crunchy, autotuned vocals and screams reminiscent of Deafheaven frontman George Clarke’s angsty, emotional delivery. The biggest strength of Death Awaits is this melding of genres, combining retro video game electronics, extreme metal and hyper-pop to avoid the gimmicky Ninja Gaiden meets Napalm Death pitfall of its concept.
Blind Equation bring in some fascinating guest vocalists for features on the tracks Killing Me and Suffering In Silence, elevating those tracks and providing some respite from McHenry’s extreme vocal style. Killing Me features Rat Jesu, an early pioneer of the internet based HexD electronic subgenre that combines distorted, sped up, trap-inspired production with heavily bitcrushed vocals, on a backdrop of upbeat, Animal Crossing inspired retro synths and brutal blast beats. Suffering In Silence pairs McHenry with New Zealand based cybergrind artist DEATHTRIPPA for an intense, discordant duet.
Death Awaits is a fiercely unique, intense experience that grows beyond its simple, The Locust by way of The Legend of Zelda premise. By incorporating elements from hyperpop and other more mainstream genres Blind Equation manage to keep their sound surprisingly accessible without compromising their animalistic brutality.