Album Review: Dance with the Dead Loved to Death
By Devin Shea
Just recently, an electronic rock band named Dance with the Dead released their new album called Loved to Death and it is nothing like you’ve ever heard.
I don’t know if you know this, but some of the best ways to find new and interesting music is on Instagram. That’s how I found Twin Temple and that’s how I found a band called Dance with the Dead.
They aren’t a new band by any means (this is their seventh album and, yes, they are all amazing especially “Send the Signal”) since they stepped on the scene in 2013, but coming across their page has opened me up to a new world of music I didn’t know existed outside of video games. I love a wide array of music and based on how much I cover Ghost, that’s definitely one of my favorites, but Dance with the Dead just shot itself way up my list with the release of their brand new album, “Loved to Death,” and I have never heard anything like them.
Image courtesy of Dance with the Dead
When I listen to music I’ve never heard before, I like to imagine a scenario in which this music would be playing in the soundtrack of my life, whether it is realistic or fantastical. When I listen to Dance with the Dead, I feel like I’m in a video game that’s a mix of vampires, werewolves, Dynasty Warriors and some intense ’80s action sequences. Every song can make you imagine a different parallel reality and this music just takes you places. Plus, it’s just really enjoyable to listen to, especially in the car. The tracks for “Loved to Death” are:
More from Music
- 5 best heavy music albums of 2023 for horror fans
- Interview with The Tank composer Max Aruj – 2023 creature feature!
- Interview: Dara Taylor, composer for Dracula-themed ‘The Invitation’ (2022)
- What’s to come: Ghost’s Copia death seems imminent
- Album Review: Ghost Impera and 80’s Metal Freshness
- Go! 3:12
- Into the Shadows 4:45
- Salem 3:48
- Portraits 4:56
- War 4:56
- Red Moon 4:17
- Creep 4:43
- From Hell 3:53
- Oracle 5:09
- Become Wrath 3:33
As you can see, the majority of their songs are nice lengths and you find yourself not wanting the song to end, but at the same time excited for the next one to begin. Depending on the track, you could feel like an action hero in a still while the credits roll, or Guan Yu fighting on horseback. Or maybe you feel like you’re driving in your silver ’84 trans am, your bandana blowing in the wind, because someones trying to steal your girl (KOBRA KAI!). Each song makes you feel something new yet ties in together.
Image courtesy of Dance with the Dead
The band is made up of Tony Kim and Justin Pointer hailing from Orange County, California. I got the opportunity to ask Justin a few questions about the band, the music and where Dance with the Dead is headed.
1428 Elm: Hey Justin, thanks for talking with me. How did you and Tony start creating music together?
Justin Pointer: We’ve known each other for roughly 20 years or so. We’ve both loved metal and dance music for years and just started making music together in 2012 for fun. We had so many ideas flowing out of us that we just decided to write an album and thus Dance with the Dead was born.
1428: How did you get the name Dance with the Dead?
JP: When we used to send ideas for songs back and forth through email we would always tentatively title the tracks with anything other than “idea 1, idea 2, idea 2” etc. Tony had sent me a track and named it “Dance with the Dead”…I liked it and suggested we use it as a name for ourselves, and that was that.
1428: It’s definitely an amazing name. How did this style of music come about and what would you call it?
JP: Our style just evolved from our influences of metal, rock, and electronic music. We don’t write to a specific style, we just write things that sound good to us. I would just call it electronic rock music.
1428: What are your musical influences?
JP: We both love bands like Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Misfits, Daft Punk, Metallica, Slayer, White Zombie, Black Flag, Descendants, Nofx, Deadmau5, Justice, Bloody Beetroots, Steve Aoki, Queen, Heart, Alice in Chains, Ghost, oh man….we could go on forever!
1428: We are huge Ghost fans here too! The album sounds like an epic video game soundtrack and metal had a baby. Do you have any metal or video game influences?
JP: For metal bands, my favorites have always been White Zombie, Metallica (first 5 albums), Black Sabbath, Alice in Chains, Slayer, Motorhead, and Skid Row. As far as video games, Tony is more up to modern video games, but some of my favorites are Castlevania (orignal NES), Left 4 Dead, Bioshock, Blood Dragon, and Golden Axe.
1428: That’s funny because some of your songs sounds like something straight out of Castlevania! Is there a theme to this new album?
JP: The theme would be a beast in love with the beauty.
1428: That makes sense alongside the cover art. Have you always liked this genre of music? Or is there another genre you’d like to play as well?
JP: I wouldn’t mind dabbling in a prog(ressive) rock band or even something on the other side of spectrum like The Ramones or The Misfits’ simplicity.
1428: What’s your favorite song from “Loved to Death”?
JP: They all have a special place for me, but my 3 favorites would be “Go!,” “Salem,” and “Portraits.”
1428: It’s really difficult for me to choose too but I agree on your choices. “Go!” is one of my favorites as well as “Salem.” What can we look forward to in the future of Dance with the Dead?
JP: We are going to be touring a lot worldwide, and we’re excited to be releasing all of our full length albums on Vinyl throughout the second half of 2018.
Next. Bruce Campbell: “What in the hell happened in that car?”. dark
A huge thanks to Dance with the Dead for answering my questions. If you haven’t already, check these guys out. I promise you it’s worth it and you can check out their tour schedule here. “Loved to death” is available now digitally and on their website.