The Flatliners – Dead Language

The wait for even a single note of new music for the Flatliners has been fraught with anguish, pain and a strong sense of longing following such strong material previously; but final product Dead Language proves the wait was worth every single second with its effortlessly raw and emotional content executed perfectly with hard-hitting and poignant instrumentals.

Opening track Resuscitation of the Year starts with melodic chords that build into a fast-paced assault of visceral vocals screeching through ear-drums, with off-pitch ghoulish guitars that suddenly switch to a ballzy yet sunny side as if that dark element was never there. This then pounds into Bury Me, a similar song in terms of tempo and its punky style but with a different shift in focus from the instrumentals to the soulful, echoing yet grizzly vocals that carry the heart of the song throughout, its passionate lyrics that resonate with its listeners.

Tracks like Birds of England and Tail Feathers slow the album to a snail’s pace. Like a bird gliding through the sky, the songs rise and fall in pure volume from piercing guitars and vocals to the steady, slow bassline and drum beat. They are so infectious you’ll nod away without even noticing (I bet if you’re listening to these tracks right now, you’re smiling because you’ve realised you’re nodding away, aren’t you?).

Caskets Away and Quitters however have a totally different feel. They immediately jump into the chaotic fray of crashing cymbals, thrashing guitars and the odd blisteringly sharp drum roll, in a heavily punk-influenced way. There is a distinct lack of Ska influence on this album, but what it lacks in Ska it makes up for n its old school punk roots showing that this genre is not dead by a long shot, just being reinvented into something out of this world.

Closing track Brilliant Resilience starts with ominous chords looming over the precipice of a plummet into a whirlwind of gang vocals, with the fastest drumming I’ve heard in a while and juxtaposed against this. Though it’s the ever-changing pace in guitars that mould the song into various different guises throughout showing the versatility of this revered band.

There is nothing within this album that will leave any listener disappointed. The Flatliners have built on their previous releases and influences to create an album that stands out in so many ways amongst its respective scene and the peers that helped it come into being.

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