Review: Luke Petty
Despite a 2022 diagnosis of a rare neuro-immune condition that stalled his ability to tour and made the physical act of recording a genuine risk, Hunter Young and Moodring have refused to let their craft go silent and produced one hell of an album. A “brutally beautiful” exploration of what happens to the human psyche when the body begins to fail, proving that even in a state of physical stagnation, brilliance can be mined from exhaustion.
Death Fetish, is a raw, electronic, and heavy evolution for the band. It opens with “Half-Life,” which Young describes as an “obituary to my former life.” The track sets a high bar with heavy riffs that bridge into a soaring, melodic chorus—a skyscraping lament where Young admits he is “swallowing his fate” while living only half a life.
From there, the record descends into a “magnetic lure” of violence and vulnerability. The propulsive thrum of “Cannibal” and the industrial rhythms of “Bleed Enough” entangle lust with danger, while the standout track “Masochist Machine” manages to blend heavy pop-rock with an almost danceable energy.
Young’s personal favorite, “Gunplay (Suicidal 3way),” further explores this “death fetish” through a vivid, risky fantasy that burns with the strike of every guitar string. The album masterfully balances the aggressiveness, proving that two things can be true at once. The aggression side of the band, with tracks like “STFA” (Stay The Fuck Away) and “Sickf_ck”—the heaviest offering on the record—showcases a band hellbent on sonic impact. “Anywhere But Here” leans into a 90s underground grunge aesthetic, while “Oxidized” serves as a primary showcase for Young’s vocal range. And the fragility of this band. In “Ketamine,” the album’s softest moment, Young channels a cold, hazy atmosphere to evoke the feeling of floating in a vacuum. It is a moment of exposed vulnerability where he longs to “let the credits roll” and drift away from his reality.
Ultimately, Death Fetish is a necessary battle for closure. Between the imagery of needles and medicine, Young finds a “mindful meditation” in the chaos, eventually rounding out the experience with “Die Slow” and “Coldmetalkiss.”
Young is an artist who seems to have created this record for himself, indifferent to whether the world likes it—yet it is impossible not to be affected by it. By mining brilliance from immense difficulty, Moodring has produced a powerful statement on loss and acceptance. This is the start of a bold new chapter; while the body may be finite, the art is infinite. After this, they can be considered underrated no longer.
DEATH FETISH – OUT NOW
https://bfan.link/death-fetish
