Deadlights kickback against mass media manipulation on 'Sugarcoated Psychosis'

15 November 2019 | 2:00 pm | Alex Sievers
Originally Appeared In

Turn your T.V. off and listen to Deadlights.

Turn your T.V. off & listen to Deadlights.



Right now, in New South Wales, Australia faces one of its most catastrophic bush-fire events ever recorded, a deadly firestorm that threatens not only thousands of lives, hectares, and homes but uncountable amounts of smaller, necessary eco-systems and fauna. Yet so much of the narrative has focused on the current federal government and the NSW government's blame-game that it's somehow the fault of Greens policies, despite the fact they haven't ever been in power to affect said policies, and the fact that the Liberals have previously gutted funding for emergency services, like the Rural Fire Services. That, and ignoring what people like former NSW Fire & Rescue Commissioner, Greg Mullins, have recently said about climate change or even how doing back burn-offs during off-seasons are no longer helping drought-affected areas anymore due to ever-increasing hotter, drier conditions.

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This is but one local Aussie example of the frustration that many hold with media and politics today, the kind of anger that Deadlights are really striking at on their newest single, 'Sugarcoated Psychosis.' It's a call to take the air-waves back. This is another dire bush-fire season paired with much of the same old opinions expressed from pundits and politicians that do nothing to alter or better the conversation to anything remotely approaching real, positive change. It feels like it's all on-repeat, year-in and year-out, and that's also one of the sentiments behind this aggressive new Deadlights number; "The track has been looping, the record is broken."

Produced by Thy Art Is Murder's Andy Marsh (who also manages Deadlights), and mixed by Belle Haven guitarist and Better Half singer, Christopher Vernon, 'Sugarcoated Psychosis' is, musically and structurally, a decent follow-on from their previous single, 'Bathed In Venom.' What with all of the band's tightly-wound riffs, harmonies and strong sense of urgency and bounce found in all the usual corners of their songwriting. It's a track that's fine enough on-record, but one that'll no doubt come into its own when performed live, as the stage is where this upcoming group really shines. Basically, if you've fucked with them, you'll most likely dig this.

Vocalist Dylan Davidson - the MVP of the song, sounding as volatile  as ever with his fired-up screams - explained where they were coming from on this track via a Greyscale Records press release, saying:

"Sugarcoated Psychosis is a battle cry spawned in retaliation against mass manufactured media. It is the product of our disillusioned generation raised by egocentric icons. It is the twisted retelling of me tuning in the radio and saying 'What the fuck?' out loud even with no one else in the car."

'Sugarocated Psychosis' tonally and thematically nails that feeling of indignation over mundane things getting twisted into being more important than they actually are; eating up attention from things that have tangible effects. There is always a time and place for entertainment and other aspects of pop-culture and media, and people are allowed to enjoy shit like The Bachelor or Hack and whatnot, yet there has to be as strong of an importance on facts and non-fiction. I don't think anyone needs an Australian post-hardcore band to "wake" them up to the agendas of the Murdoch-owned press or the allure of carefully-curated, mindless television - most people are aware of such things - yet this new cut is Deadlights saying what they think and believe about our modern world, about what ails it, and keeping that conversation flowing. It's an unoriginal message, but a timely one, and more artists in heavy music need to take such stands and use their platforms as such, no matter their size.

Tune in to 'Sugarcoated Psychosis' below: