EP REVIEW: Elements – Dead Air
DEAD AIR‘s latest EP, Elements follows on from their 2022 debut EP City Sins. After the video for their song Teeth Grinder went viral, racking up over 600 thousand views, all eyes were on DEAD AIR. The trio – vocalist and bassist Reuben Moonasar, drummer Richard Greenbury, and guitarist Lyle Salvatore – are known for their energetic live shows and have played at Isle of White Festival and Decolonise Festival, and have been supported by radio stations such as BBC Radio 1 and Planet Rock. With an upcoming UK tour in support for the release of Elements, 2025 looks set to be the year that DEAD AIR break out into the mainstream.
Across four songs, DEAD AIR continue to build on the momentum of City Sins. Opening song Die is an up-tempo rock song that shows off Moonasar‘s fantastic voice. However, the instruments aren’t forgotten; instead, they both get equal footing in the song. The energetic chorus and the slower verses creates a fantastic opening song that sets the stage.
Love and Patience is a bass-heavy track that will translate well live due to its catchy beat, and Violently Blue sounds like a cinematic audio story, complete with fantastic lyrics and a sombre drum beat that carries the song along into its great final chorus and heart-breaking final verse. Closing song Breathe brings the EP full circle because it’s another up-tempo bass-heavy song, but it’s more energetic than Die was.
Elements was written around the time that the band were all going through struggles in their personal lives, and the lyrics throughout the entire EP encapsulates these struggles very well. All of the songs have their own individual sound, even though the band stick to what they know. Their unique take on rock music makes them stand out from the crowd as they focus more on an atmospheric sound. The band do this by making a different instruments lead the song along, whether that is the bass, the drums, or the guitar. Furthermore, the production helps this atmospheric sound by making sure that none of the vocals or instruments overwhelm each other. The pacing of the EP gives enough time for each song to develop, resulting in an EP that doesn’t sound rushed or unfinished.
Overall, Elements by DEAD AIR is a fantastic follow-up to City Sins and a brilliant EP in its own right. The band clearly know their sound, and even though it is only four songs long, it does not sound rushed or unfinished. The unique take on rock music gives the genre a good shake up and sets the trio apart from other bands. Pacing wise, the EP is medium-paced as each song is between three to four minutes and all of the songs are not too fast or too slow. Elements is the EP that is going to put DEAD AIR on the map.
Rating: 8/10
Elements is out 7th February via Fly Tip Records
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