DEATH GOALS

DEATH GOALS are preparing to release their first album under the Prosthetic Records banner; titled A Garden of Dead Flowers, it’s due to bloom in spring 2023.

Having unapologetically pushed their way to the foreground of conversation around bands that flourished during the pandemic, the UK based duo self-released The Horrible and the Miserable in Summer 2021. The rapturous response it garnered gave them impetus to hit the road and bring their distinctively chaotic energy to clubs and bars up and down the country. In the downtime between shows, they set about writing their sophomore album - marking the first time they’d collaborated together in the same room, as their debut was crafted remotely.

Whilst bands are often prone to describing their latest opus as a progression, in this case, it very much is - and there were signposts towards their burgeoning intentions on The Horrible and the Miserable’s closing track. Nothing Left To Give was the only song to feature clean vocals and paved the way towards what is now just around the corner with A Garden of Dead Flowers. This album also sees the duo Harry Bailey and George Milner embrace being defined as a queer hardcore band; their experiences - both good and bad - with that label and its accoutrements are documented throughout.

From album the album opener - the wonderfully titled Genderless Clones of Gameshow Hosts - through to the joyously provocative closer, Faux Macho, Harry and George guide listeners through secret woodland hookups, fighting against queer erasure, nightmarish middle of the night fears, addiction and rehab, dysphoria, and - potentially most importantly - euphoric community acceptance.

Sonically, the pair have expanded their palette - arguably a happy by-product of feeling more comfortable in their own skins and within the band’s identity. With more time and focus dedicated to shaping and re-working the songs in pre-production, the 11 tracks on A Garden of Dead Flowers are more cohesive and well-rounded than ever before. Recording took place over just five days in April 2022 with Tom Hill at Bookhouse Recording studio in London, UK. Whilst they stay true to their chaotic hardcore nucleus, there are flourishes of noise, sludge, and even black metal speckled throughout.

The flowers of the album name are motifs of members of the queer community; trampled, crushed and oppressed by policies, politics and society itself. The title track revisits the content of the song Exit Wounds on their debut - detailing an experience in rehab - but this time through the lens of increased queer self-acceptance and ownership. Whilst there are undoubtedly dark moments on A Garden of Dead Flowers, DEATH GOALS are gleefully antagonistic and have created an engaging anthology of reflections on lived experiences, offering up hope, support and community to those around them.

A Garden of Dead Flowers will be released via Prosthetic on 5 May, 2023

Death Goals is:

Harry Bailey (He/They) - Guitar and Vocals

George Milner (He/They) - Drums and Vocals