Even for those of us who don't feel entirely human, is there redemption for the self-aware?
That's the question posed by Deathpact in the anonymous, humanoid artist collective's long-awaited debut album, FROM DARKNESS, which hit streaming platforms today.
When we worked to unravel the puzzling world of Deathpact a few years ago, we demystified a series of riddles embedded in their Discord server, a virtual labyrinth with enough cryptic clues and ambiguous cyphers to pen another Da Vinci Code. And their vicious, cyborgian sound had fans questioning whether or not they had fuseboxes for hearts, but their new album is proof that a heartbeat not only exists, but palpitates with fragility.
Deathpact.c/o Press
FROM DARKNESS is, at its core, carnage, both musically and emotionally. It's an album that demands your full attention before dragging you into its churning vortex of bass, and for those willing to take the plunge, it offers an unforgettable experience.
But beneath Deathpact's punishing beats, a strange vulnerability flickers. Vocals, raw and desperate, writhe and pierce through the fabric of their claustrophobic production like a single defiant flower pushing through cracked asphalt.
To that end, FROM DARKNESS is much more than a mere exercise in sensory obliteration. The album forces us to confront a darkness we all face at one point or another: the primal struggle to find meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. But even at its most nihilistic, the music is laced with exquisite slivers of tormented beauty—a suggestion that solace can still be attained amidst the wreckage of our own forsaken psyches.
Look no further than "FATE," a woozy descent into spiritual ruin that finds Deathpact dancing with the devil. "I sold my soul to the devil today," they confess, words dripping with damnation over nasty trap beats. They then confront their mortality head-on in "DUST TO DUST," where they urge you to "feed your soul" like they so desperately crave for themselves.
Deathpact's humanity bubbles further to the surface in "SONG 4," one of the album's undeniable highlights. Here, anguished vocals float atop haunting electro-soul, lamenting a love's betrayal before they're snuffed out by a squelching midtempo bass drop. "Oh look what you've done to me / I thought this was real," they quaver.
Fans of Deathpact's typically merciless sound will gravitate to "MARAUDER," a dubstep banger that hilariously samples Chris Tucker's "You got knocked the f*** out, man" line from the 1995 film Friday; and "MERCURY," where riddim drops seethe like toxic sludge simmering up from a polluted swamp.
Deathpact.
Much like the controversial OpenAI, Deathpact's source code remains cloaked in mystery. Even after the release of their debut album, we still don't know much of anything about the collective.
But for the now-sentient Deathpact, maybe that's for the best. In moments when our innermost feelings crave to be heard, sometimes it's best to step back from the bustling world and embrace the calmness of obscurity.
Listen to FROM DARKNESS below.
Follow Deathpact:
Facebook: facebook.com/Deathpact
X: x.com/deathpact
Instagram: instagram.com/deathpact
Spotify: spoti.fi/30C9Q1Z
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