Two years on from the ARIA award-winning record Bloodstreams, Australian ‘thrash-pop’ duo DZ Deathrays have returned with their second record, Black Rat. Recorded over a six week period at The Grove studio in Australia with producer Burke Reid, of The Drones and The Mess Hall Fame, the album reiterates the concussive delivery taken by the band on their debut and takes it all a step further. Vocalist/guitarist Shane Parsons explained how this time around the guitars and drums were recorded separately as opposed to at the same time, as was done on Bloodstreams, and how this allowed the band to add layers to the music, in the hope that ‘after 20 listens people start hearing different things.’ There is a depth to the destruction on Black Rat which was perhaps not as apparent on the band’s debut.
‘’Keep Myself On Edge’’ is the pick of the bunch from the new record, as it builds upon and expresses most successfully everything DZ Deathrays are. The riffs are seismic, colossal in both their weight and impact. The vocals are cutting, both in terms of the way they work within and through the sludge, but also in Parson’s lyrics. There is a sense of desperation in his voice, and as he sings on the chorus ‘felt love, the feeling, I’m alone,’ he seems to fold within himself, a paradox amid the expansive, confident and exciting instrumentation around him. It further represents the foregone knowledge concerning DZ Deathrays skill in writing great choruses, and stands as their most catchy, their most memorable, and most moving. The additional guitar helps embed a haunting aesthetic, adding intrigue to the deathly concoction and ensuring the riffs are full of spice. ‘’Keep Myself On Edge’’ is a celebration of both what DZ Deathrays have done, and where they are going. It signifies a band who have both found their sound, and are ambitious for more. But most importantly, it’s another fucking good track by a fucking great band.